The Bubba Effect
by Neo Draco
Summary: Following the second American Revolution and caught in the middle of the Second American Civil War, Ami must survive being pushed past the limits of her physical, emotional, and mental endurance.
1. Chapter 1

_ A/N: A while back, I wrote the a short called _The Bubba Effect _This is a reworking of that same short describing an Alternate Universe adventure of Ami and friends in the United States after the fall of the American government and with America in a total state of anarchy. As impossible as such a scenario may be, keep in mind that this is an entirely possible future for this country._

Ami peered carefully around the store front, looking for both something to open a door and anyone who might cause trouble. She knew that this was, technically, breaking and entering, which was illegal. But, given the things she had done in the past few weeks, it was low on her list of charges.

A few weeks previously, Ami and her friends, Makoto, Usagi, Rei and Minako, had traveled to America for a bit of a vacation. Before they could leave, the American people had thrown some kind of revolt. Years of poverty and disillusionment with the government had been too much. In the chaos of anarchy with gang-controlled cities and civil war, she and the girls had become trapped in this new hell. They had become separated, and, without a way to communicate with one another, were now lost.

Ami picked up a stout piece of metal and crept over to the glass doors. She swung with all of her strength and shattered the glass. The store, which had been closed and abandoned some time before, was empty of people, but full of useful merchandise. She wished she had some money to leave behind and, at least, make herself feel better, less like a thief, but all of her money, identification, and possessions had been stolen before she could make it out of Washington D.C. With the weather getting colder and her prospects of rescue bleaker, she needed more than just the clothes on her back.

She moved swiftly through the clothing racks, selecting a nice, tough, heavy jacket. She took a moment to try it on and found it a little short on the arms. She exchanged it for a slightly larger size and slipped it on before moving on. The store had been ransacked, with goods strewn to the four winds both inside of and outside the store. Her eyes constantly roved her surroundings as she pulled off her shorts and tugged on a pair of jeans. She grabbed a leather belt and snugged it around her waist. Belts were good things, she reasoned, you could store important things on a belt.

Glancing down at her tattered and filthy tennis shoes, she decided on a new pair. Actually, boots would probably be better. She grabbed a pair of heavy black boots which looked identical to the kind soldiers wear, tightened up the laces, and bounced a bit in them, these would do quite well. She took a moment, trying to think of anything else she might need. Definitely food, canned goods would keep longer, and a pack. A big one. She raced through the store, trying to find a good backpack. She grabbed a pair of warm, fleece-lined gloves and pulled them on. She would need all the warmth she could get in the coming months.

Grabbing a pack., she opened it and checked the depth. It was deep and able to hold a lot of stuff, It even had straps along the top to hold a sleeping bag, a true camping pack. She began to fill it with every kind of canned and dry good she could see, adding a few bottles of water for good measure. She roamed the store's sporting goods and picked up a small, brown bottle of water purification tablets, which would be useful.

Glancing around, she saw what she mistook for a long knife. At a second glance, it turned out to be a Machete. Ami snickered to herself, they actually sold Machetes in stores in America, ready for the picking. Only a select few stores in Japan offered such a dangerous tool. She ripped open the plastic packaging and discovered that the Machete also came with a tough canvas sheath. What luck!

She clipped the sheath to her belt and slid the blade into it, careful not to cut herself. She searched out a knife, a good one. Her last one had broken recently in a fight. Luckily for her, it had broken in her attacker's chest. She saw some inside a glass case and smashed it with a gloved fist. These weren't knives, they were pictures of knives. She hopped over the counter and began to root through the drawers. Most of the knives she found were the folding pocket kind. She needed a real knife, not a toy. She found a good one. The blade was six inches long and wickedly sharp. Reaching up onto a rack, she snatched up a sharpening stone, she didn't know much about sharpening knives but she was a fast learner.

Turning around, she spotted a second case. This one was filled with rack upon rack of guns. She said a quiet prayer of thanks to the Kami as she reached up and grabbed the last gun on the rack, some kind of shotgun. She read the tag attached to the trigger guard. It was a 12-gauge Remington pump-action. She had no idea what that meant but it must be important. She dug through the boxes of ammunition in the cabinet and found a few labeled with the same gauge as her gun. It was simple common sense that the gun could fire these shells. She didn't know what would happen if she loaded the wrong shells into the gun but she was sure she didn't want to find out.

On her way out of the store, she grabbed a sleeping bag, a few blankets, a metal fork and spoon, of which the bins were full. It was amazing what people forgot in their panic to get what they would need. She grabbed a pack of butane lighters. Fire would be the most important thing for her.

Ami left the store, slinging the new pack onto her shoulders and tightening the straps as she straddled her motorcycle. Technically, it wasn't her motorcycle but she had "borrowed" it from a house nearby. The poor sap who owned it had even left the keys in the ignition. She didn't feel the least bit guilty about taking it though. She needed it more than him.

She hit the kickstart and was gone, roaring through the gears. It was a shame, but everything that she used now was stolen, from the motorcycle to the fuel that drove it, the food that would fill her to the blankets that would keep her warm tonight. And even the tools she used to keep herself alive. But, since the fall of America, the rules had changed.

Though she was unclear on the details of the why and how, she knew that things had gotten bad, especially for anyone who wasn't an American. Throughout her life, Ami was a quiet, studious girl, preferring to let her wit and charm disarm any opponent, and, if that failed, to run like hell in the opposite direction.

Since the fall of America, she had to fight more in the past few weeks than ever before. Each fight had been for her life and she bore the scars and wounds to prove it. The fact that she was still alive bore testament to her already considerable skill.

Taking her hand from the throttle for a moment, she adjusted the shotgun's strap on her shoulder. She angled the bike, turning off of the highway and onto a back road. She needed to get away from civilization if she was to survive. She almost laughed at the irony of that plan, forsaking the warmth and comfort of a building for the questionable safety of a deep forest hideout. However, Venomous serpents and feral animals were nothing to the truly feral animal known as Man. She knew now that civilization and society were merely an illusion. Without the chains of Law and Order to collar him, Man was the most dangerous creature to walk the Earth.


	2. Chapter 2

Ami pushed the motorcycle deep into the underbrush, hiding it from any passerby. She surveyed the area that she had chosen for her camp, either temporary or permanent, she had yet to decide. It was on a broad flat hill and she could see in all directions. Even though there was no artificial light from streetlamps and the sort, the moon was more than bright enough, bathing the night world in a pale light and leaving very little shadow. The way her dark clothing absorbed the light made her almost invisible, provided she didn't move too much.

Only one problem needed to be solved. In the darkness, and on top of her hill, a fire would be extremely visible. She dug a small pit with her hands. Maybe, if she kept the fire small, she could get away with this. Carefully, she piled small twigs and sticks around a base of dry leaves. She cupped a hand around her lighter, protecting the precious flame from any gust of wind that might stir up. Ami touched the flame to the leaves, blowing gently at the embers, and applauded herself as a small, but strong, fire flickered to life.

She sat back and stared at the night sky. It was amazing how, not even two months before, her biggest worry was being able to socialize with her friends and still have enough time to study for some test or do her homework. Now, she worried about whether or not she would eat tonight, or live to see tomorrow. Funny how a crisis like this could put a person's priorities in order. She thought about her mother, how worried the woman must be. Ami's mother became anxious if Ami didn't call her every few days, literally ringing Ami's phone constantly until she got a hold of her daughter. This trip to America had only served to raise her mother's blood pressure further..

She rooted around in her pack and pulled out a small can of processed meat, Vienna Sausages. Yuck. But still, better than nothing. She bit into one of the tiny, finger-length sausages and grimaced at the taste. She would have to be really hungry to eat one of those things again. Unfortunately, she _was_ really hungry and, however disgusting the meat was, it satisfied her hunger. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. It had been, maybe, three days. Maybe, four? Ami shook he head, maybe it was time for her to learn the fine art of hunting.

Ami grabbed her new gun and began to load it, a surprisingly complex task made even more complicated by her lack of experience with firearms of any type. She chambered the first shell and tried to chamber a second behind it. It didn't fit. She turned the gun over and saw a second chamber beneath the first. Experimentally, she pushed the second shell into it, grinning as it slipped inside. A third shell followed it, and a fourth, and a fifth before the gun was fully loaded. Five shells was all it could hold. Holding the gun in her hand, the power to take another person's life, gave her a bit of a heady feeling. This was the first power trip she had ever experienced. She had seen enough action movies with her friends to have a good idea of what to do next. She pressed the butt of the gun against her shoulder, raised it, and fired. The report was deafening and the recoil caused the gun to slip from her hands and fall to the dirt. She hurriedly picked it up and tried to pump the spent shell from the chamber. Tried and failed. She nearly panicked, thinking that she had, somehow, broken the gun. She felt all along it and her fingers brushed against a small switch against the trigger guard. She pressed the switch and the pump shifted. Holding down the switch, she pulled the pump back towards her, ejecting the empty shell. The acrid smell of burnt gunpowder assaulted her and she sneezed, the motion racking a new shell into the chamber. So, now that she had her gun figured out, she could really do some damage.

She set the weapon aside but kept it within quick and easy reach. She fed a few more sticks and twigs into the fire and rolled up into her sleeping bag, rolling her jacket up and using it as a pillow. The night wasn't exactly cold enough to warrant the extra blankets. The sleeping bag would do well enough. But it wouldn't be much longer before she'd have to find some serious shelter or risk death from exposure. Maybe, she thought as she began to doze, I could build one. How difficult could it be? Yeah, and maybe, if I hang a net from a tree, I'll catch a flying pig. I'll definitely eat good then.

l-l-l-l

She awoke suddenly to a sound. The air was silent and still, as was she as she lay in the grass, listening, trying to place the sound she heard. She pulled on her jacket, grabbed her gun and peered around. Her fire had long ago gone out and her night vision was at it's peak. She could see a dark shape dart out from the cover of the trees and into some bushes. Two other shapes followed the first. She needed to move and to do so immediately. She stuffed as many shells into her pockets as they could hold. There was no time to roll and set her sleeping bag. She simply grabbed her pack and took off, half-running, half-sliding, down the hill.

Ami could hear the voices on the hill behind her as she pulled her motorcycle out of the bushes. They sounded agitated. They had found her camp. She straddled the motorcycle and hit the kick-start. The engine sputtered. She tried again to the same effect.

"Come on," she growled as she hit the kick-start a third time. The engine sputtered and caught with a roar. She was now certain that her visitors knew exactly where she was. She would have been surprised if the dead didn't hear that. She guided the bike as quickly and carefully as possible up the steep trail and onto the road. With a squeal of tires, she was gone. A pair of headlights swung out of the woods behind her. She gunned the engine, pushing as much speed and power as she could from it and left her pursuers in the mirror.

Rounding a bend in the road, she glanced up. Something was in the road. A deer. A fucking deer.

"Shit!" she cursed as she swerved. The rear tire went out from under her and the bike laid over. She could feel the hot engine burning her leg and foot as the combined weight and momentum of the motorcycle dragged her along. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, her foot slipped out from beneath the bike and she rolled to a stop in the middle of the road.

Hot agony shot through her as she lay in the pavement. She didn't bother to retrieve the bike. It was probably far beyond any repair. Most of her possessions were scattered all over the place. She could hear the pursuing vehicle getting closer. She tried to stand only to collapse. She was badly hurt this time, worse than ever before. And, in very real trouble. Even if she could get out of the road, how would she be able to hunt and feed herself. She was already weak enough from malnutrition and dehydration. She'd be dead in a few days, her obituary was pretty much written. Crawling towards the side of the road, where she could hide, the headlights spilled across her and the three people climbed out of some kind of truck. Ami drew her knife, refusing to go quietly. She swung at the first silhouette, which dodged the blade and kicked her in the side of the head. As her attacker reached down to take the knife, Ami pushed herself up, going for the throat. An arm slipped under her chin and wrapped around her throat. She couldn't breathe and bucked and twisted as hard as she could, trying to work her way free.

"Don't hurt her," a voice cautioned.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

Ami's world grew dark as the pressure around her neck began to ease. She slipped down into the warm darkness, praying it was death taking her.


	3. Chapter 3

Ami groaned as she came awake. Her head was pounding and the bright sunlight lancing through the trees only made matters worse. She raised her hands to cover her eyes and had an unpleasant surprise, her hands were bound, the coarse rope chafing her wrists. She blinked as she looked around her new environment. She was laying on a blanket on a stack of clean, sweet-smelling hay, inside some kind of building, she could only guess a shed, that was completely open at the front. The land was bordered on all visible sides by trees and thick, impenetrable undergrowth. The only access she could see to this area was a narrow dirt trail, just big enough for a large truck, that passed before the shed and disappeared into the trees. A heavy gate, a meager yet effective barrier against the outside world, was hinged between two thick trees at the treeline. The rest of the land was all tall grass and exposed dirt, for a garden, she guessed, strewn with tools, wood and old car parts.

She was covered to the waist by a rough blanket. Peeling back the blanket, she received yet another unpleasant surprise. Except for her underwear, she was naked from the waist down. Her left leg was bandaged from the knee to the ankle. She looked and saw her pants, the left leg torn and bloody, cast aside. She wouldn't be able to save them.

Startled by a noise, Ami turned to see a young girl, no older than her mid-teens, quietly crouching on a log and watching her. The girl's black hair, cut just above her shoulders, fluttered in the light breeze. Her dark eyes never left Ami, gazing at her in a way that was both uncomfortable and hypnotizing. The girl never blinked but seemed to search into Ami's very soul.

"Good morning." said Ami, remembering her English, which was excellent albeit thickly accented.

Without a word, the girl slid from her perch and backed out of the shed, never taking her eyes from Ami. Only when she reached the opening did she turn and take off, sprinting as fast as she could across the grass, dodging debris that was too large for her to leap over.

Worried that she had frightened the girl, Ami waited for her to return. It was only a moment before she did, closely followed by a woman who was probably in her late twenties. The woman had blueish colored hair and an elegant swimmer's frame toned over the heavy labor that seemed to be the norm.

"Hi." the woman said in greeting as she arrived. The girl quietly returned to her post on the log.

The woman immediately set to unwrapping Ami's leg and inspecting the road burns, "My name is Michelle Kaioh." she introduced herself in Japanese.

"You speak Japanese?" Ami asked.

"Only a little bit. Do you speak English?"

"Yes."

"Splendid. That will save us a lot of time and energy." Michelle smiled and gestured over to the girl, "That's my daughter, Hotaru."

Ami glanced over at Hotaru. There was no way possible that this child could be Michelle's daughter. She was simply too old.

"She's adopted." Michelle explained, as if she could read minds.

"Is she a mute?" Ami asked.

"No. She's normally quiet and strangers tend to put her on edge. I want to apologize, first off, for attacking you like we did. We hadn't decided whether or not you were a threat to us."

Ami held up her bound hands, "And this?"

"We still haven't decided."

She cocked an eyebrow, "You outnumber me. You, at least, appear to be perfectly healthy while I am malnourished, dehydrated, and injured. Both of you are carrying knives while I am completely unarmed. Just what kind of threat do I represent?"

Michelle looked her over and nodded, "You have a point." Pulling her knife from the sheath at her belt, she cut Ami's bonds. "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name."

"Ami Mizuno" she replied, rubbing the circulation back into her hands, "How long have I been out?"

"Not long. Couple of days." Michelle muttered, prodding at the blisters and cuts and causing Ami to flinch, "Sorry. You're healing nicely, given the condition you were in."

"Why did you attack me?"

"Well. The hill you were on is right at the edge of our land. We saw your campfire and heard the gunshot and went to check it out. When we found your camp, but not you, we didn't know what was going on. We heard the motorcycle and figured you were going around us to come back down here and do some damage."

"Why would I do that?"

"That's what we wanted to know. So we gave chase and found you wrecked in the road. When you tried to defend yourself, that set everybody off so we had to restrain you before you could hurt somebody."

"Was it really necessary to kick me in the head?"

"No. And, again, I apologize for that. Trista was being a bit overzealous. Don't worry, it won't happen again."

"Who is Trista?"

"A close friend of mine. You'll probably meet her later, and my cousin, Amara. Don't be fooled by her appearance and mannerisms. She is a woman."

"Who? Amara or Trista?"

Michelle chuckled, "Amara, of course. I don't think I've ever met a more feminine woman than Trista. She worked as a fashion designer before the collapse of the economy. Oh, speaking of Amara, Hotaru, go find her and tell her I need a pair of jeans, socks, and boots. Er..." she grabbed what was left of Ami's right boot and peered at the tongue, "Size five."

Hotaru nodded and dashed off. Michelle layered fresh gauze against Ami's leg and began to wrap it, "We'll get you all set with some fresh clothes."

"Thank you for your generosity. Afterwords, I'll be on my way."

She looked up from her work, "Are you sure that's wise?"

"I've bothered you long enough."

"Oh, it's no bother. Besides, you're a foreigner."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Unfortunately, it's open season on foreigners. I doubt you'll get very far before being killed. Don't get me wrong, if you want to leave, we won't stop you. But it's not a particularly wise decision, at least from my point of view. And, anyways, winter is coming. Winter here in Maryland can be harsh and you're not really prepared."

"Do you have any suggestions?"

"Well, you're more than welcome to stay here. If you want to, of course."

Ami looked around. There were definitely resources here that she could draw on and being in a group was safer than being alone, "Okay. That sounds like a plan."

Michelle smiled and looked more than a little relieved, "Excellent. You will, of course, be expected to help with your share of the work. When you're well enough, I mean."

"Of course. And, even if it wasn't expected, I would feel terrible if I was living off of you without doing my share."

Hotaru reappeared with the clothes, "Papa sent along a belt too. Just in case."

Michelle took the clothes and handed them to Ami, "Thank you, dear."

"She's almost done with your motorcycle, by the way." Hotaru said and promptly disappeared again.

"Amara likes to tinker with engines and whatnot. She's actually pretty good." Michelle explained.

"Why does Hotaru call Amara 'Papa'?"

"Well, mostly because of Amara's masculine appearance and habits. She also teaches Hotaru about things that, stereotypically, a father teaches his child like how to hunt, work on cars, build things, so on and so forth. While I teach Hotaru about more stereotypically feminine occupations like sewing and cooking. Which is why you'll hear her call me 'Mama'."

Ami snugged the belt tight and began to tug on her boots, wincing every time she touched her raw leg, "And what does she call Trista?"

"'Auntie' or simply Trista. We have no idea where that comes from. I think that child watched entirely too much television growing up."

"What do you do about Hotaru's schooling?"

"Well, we don't have much time for that. Trista tries to teach her what and when she can. She's very intelligent and loves to read and write. She's quite the poet, actually."

"You mentioned that it was 'open season' on foreigners. I noticed that you have quite a few Asian features, as does Hotaru. Doesn't that create problems?"

Michelle sighed, "Even though Trista, Amara, and I are natural-born citizens and Hotaru gained her citizenship when I adopted her, yes. It's not unusual for people to take pot-shots at us whenever we go out. Which is why we tend not to go out very often. Amara's been wounded twice already."

"Badly?"

"It was potentially problematic, especially since the hospitals are no longer operational. But, Amara's tough as nails. She had me dig the bullets out with a knife and clean the wounds. And then, against my wishes, she immediately went back to doing whatever she considers her work, cutting wood, keeping the truck maintained, hunting. She just refuses to take a break."

Ami worked her way to her feet. Her head swam and she would have toppled back over if Michelle hadn't caught her, "When was the last time you ate?"

"I don't know. Since you found me, I guess."

"And before then?"

Ami shrugged, "Three or four days, maybe five."

"Okay. Well, it's nearly time for lunch. Before we do anything, let's get some food in you."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I've decided to add an OC at the last minute who is based off of yours truly. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist._

Ami tried to eat slowly and not make a pig of herself as she tore into the sandwiches that Michelle had made. However, there was no disguising just how hungry she was. She tried to ignore the glances and outright stares that she was getting as she tried to make small talk and learn more about her new friends.

Amara, a wild tomboy-ish woman with windswept sandy blonde hair, had been a race car driver of, apparently, international renown before everything broke down. She had been in Waldorf, a town to the north and east of where they were, visiting Michelle when the revolution and civil war began. They had immediately hurried down here to a farm that had been owned by a family friend. Amara had a certain charm in her tough, lone-wolf, attitude that would give way to Hotaru's playful and doting "Papa" in one instant, and then, the moment she felt somebody was threatening her or her family, she became an Amazon that seemed incapable of showing any type of mercy.

Trista, on the other hand, was a very serious woman with a dignified air about her. Ami was willing to bet that Trista had been nobility in another life. She looked like the kind of woman who cringed at the mere thought of sweat and filth but, in reality, she was more than willing to play in the dirt with everyone else. Her only fear, her kryptonite, was cockroaches. Though Ami found cockroaches to be disgusting, disease-carrying nuisances, she didn't quite react in the ways that Trista did. The woman would perform anything from a terrified flight to a dead faint, much to the amusement of everyone present. And, at other times, she was more than willing to cast aside her dignity and seriousness to be just as silly and playful as possible, particularly around Hotaru, whom everyone seemed to adore.

"And just wait until you meet the final member of our clan." Michelle said, "I think you'll like him."

"Oh, really?"

Amara nodded, "Drake. He's this big goofy guy who tends to keep to himself."

"Drake gets most of our supplies for us. Because he's a full-blooded American that has lived in this area since the day he was born, nobody tends to bother him." Michelle explained

"Drake's an ass." Trista complained

"Yes, he can be an ass, particularly when the weather's bad and he's in pain, which is most of the time."

"Why is he in so much pain?" Ami asked

"Bad knee. It tends to give him trouble when it's raining or cold. He says he broke it a few years ago."

"Where is he now?"

"I have no idea. He tends to disappear around dawn and reappear around dusk, but he always manages to get his hands on useful things, or food, or medical supplies, that he brings back to us."

"And he's full of all sorts of information, both useful and useless." Amara pointed out, "And he knows where there's resources around here."

"Where did you come across him?"

"He was homeless at the time, living in a tent in the woods. He, kind of, wandered in one day and began helping out. We, sort of, adopted him. But, for all of his flaws, his heart's in the right place and the pros of what he can do and who and what he knows far outweigh the cons. So, we keep him around."

"What's he look like?"

"Not half-bad actually. Very dark skin, not black but he has a perpetual tan. Thick dark hair..."

"You're drooling, Michelle."

"... He's about our age but looks much older, acts like it too."

"When he wants to."

"Yes, Trista. We've established that he can be an obnoxious ass. But, that's because he's usually bored. He's willing to do pretty much anything if you tell him to. If he can't do it, he's willing to learn."

"Vulgar. Always has an answer."

"Thank you, Trista, that's enough." Michelle replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, I'm just saying."

"And saying, and saying, and saying. I think you've said enough."

"And he's a pretty good cook." Hotaru threw in her two cents.

Ami looked to Trista for some sort of negative comment. She simply shrugged, "I'll give the man his props, he's a good cook."

A very large military-style truck squealed to a halt on the other side of the gate. A heavy-set man, looking to be in his early thirties and clad completely in black, climbed out of the cab of the truck, opened the gate, and drove through.

"Speak of the devil." Amara muttered.

"He's back early. And it looks like he got himself a new truck."

"What's that he's got on the back?"

"Looks like one of those industrial forklifts."

"Can he drive one of those?"

"Apparently. He got it back there didn't he?"

The massive truck rolled to a halt in front of the shed and the man climbed out again, "What's good, peeps." he called.

"Good afternoon, Drake. Nice wheels."

"Yeah." he replied as he unhooked the heavy chains that kept the forklift attached to the back of the truck, "Isn't it great? Got it from the National Guard Armory in Laplata."

"You _stole_ from the federal government?" Trista asked, incredulously.

"Yeah, I know they don't like competition. But, hey, tit for tat, babe. They stole from me on plenty of occasions. Besides, this old girl looked so alone and heartbroken that I just couldn't leave her there. I left them my old truck instead."

"Awww," Hotaru cried, "I loved the Chevy."

"Well, you'll like this one even better." He started the forklift, lowered it to the ground, and backed it away from the truck. "Who wants to help me unload?"

Everyone jumped up and rushed over, eager to see what wonderful things Drake had brought back from town. Ami lingered at the edge of the group, trying her hardest not to be noticed.

"Hello." Drake said, noticing her, "I see a new face. Come over here so I can see you better."

Ami quietly sidled over. Her normally shy nature kept her from meeting his gaze. Michelle came to her rescue, "This is Ami. She joined us a couple of days ago."

"How come I didn't see her?"

"Well, if you occasionally came out and spoke to these people who live with you." Trista muttered bitterly. Ami could sense the resentment she held towards Drake.

"Hi, Drake." Drake said to her, a little too loudly, "It's good to see you back safely. Did you find anything while you were away?

"Why, yes indeed, I did, Trista. It's good to see you too." He climbed into the back of the truck and was hidden by the canvas cover, "Firefly, front and center." he called out.

Hotaru climbed up into the back with him and he handed her a box, which she handed to Michelle, who handed it to Amara, who put it in a wheelbarrow she had brought out from the shed. Ami, eager to prove her worth, grabbed a wagon that she had seen next to the shed. As Amara took off to unload her wheelbarrow, Ami stepped up to load the wagon.

"It's supposed to get chilly, tonight." Drake informed them as he handed out another box, "Best to put on your layers."

"How are things on the outside?" Michelle asked.

He sat down in the bed of the truck and took a break, "It's getting worse. They're resorting to cannibalism now." He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Hotaru, "Keep this on you, Firefly."

Hotaru took the thing, a holster with a .38 special, and slipped it onto her belt.

"Now, remember what your Papa and I taught you." Drake said.

"This is a tool, not a toy." she replied faithfully.

"And..."

"And the last bullet's always for me."

"Good girl. I hope it never comes to that but keep it in mind."

"Yes, sir."

"And for you, Michelle." He handed her a holster with a heavier caliber handgun.

"And for Miss Ami." He handed her an identical holster.

"What about me?" Trista called.

"Oh, they can have you for all I care."

"Drake!" Michelle barked.

"What? I'm kidding." He replied, handing another holster and gun to Trista. He pulled out a second, larger trunk, "And these come to us, compliments of Doug Windley."

Michelle took the trunk and opened it. Inside were six AK-47 assault rifles with bayonets and spare magazines, "He doesn't need them anymore?"

Drake looked melancholy as he shook his head, "Doug passed away last night."

"Oh, no." Michelle covered her mouth with a hand, "How are the girls taking it?"

"Pretty well, I think. Shannon armed up and made tracks for Arizona and Kitty went into the Appalachia."

"Did you get water, like I asked?"

"How long will six pallets hold you?"

Michelle's eyes widened, "Six pallets?"

"Not enough?"

"Christ, six pallets will hold us for a while, quite a while. At least, through the winter."

"Good, And I've got five hundred gallons of Diesel and five hundred gallons of gas."

"You have been busy. I can only assume that's the reason for the forklift?"

"Yeah, like I'm going to carry two hundred and fifty, fifty gallon drums on my back. Woman, have you gone and lost your mind? Oh, and for your information, somebody went splat all over the road just a little ways up from here."

"We know. Here's the somebody."

Drake smiled at Ami, "Ah! You went splat! Oh, well, happens to the best of us." He handed Ami her shotgun and pack, "I gathered up everything I could find."

For the first time in a while, Ami was genuinely delighted, "Thank you." She turned to Michelle, "Just out of curiosity, What does he mean when he says that the last bullet in the gun is for us?"

Michelle shook her head, "I don't really want to think about it."

"Would you rather I tell her? It's important information." Drake asked.

Michelle turned and took Ami's wagon to unload, "Yeah, go ahead."

He hopped down and took her aside, "Okay, it's like this. This is a really dangerous time now, I'm sure you've noticed. There are gangs all over the place, as well as desperate people who just want to survive. In the event that we get attacked and overrun, you are to kill as many as you can. But, the last bullet is always for you."

"You mean...?"

"You are to take your own life. Trust me when I say that the illusion of civilization has disappeared. Those...animals...out there, they will not hesitate to kill you in very horrible ways. This revolution has give certain people permission to act in whatever way they want. Make no mistake, Ami. They will rape you fifty times and rape you fifty times more before they kill you. Deny them that. They might rape your body but, at least, you'll spare yourself having to know it."


	5. Chapter 5

Michelle swept Hotaru's feet off of the table, "You know better," she scolded, "stop showing off. And put your book away, it's time for supper."

Hotaru shrugged and disappeared into the back of the shed, returning a few moments later as Amara began loading bowls with steaming stew.

"Alright!" cheered Drake, "Nothing better on a chilly evening than beef stew."

"Well, not really," Michelle admitted, "It's not quite cold enough yet to keep meat. It's vegetables in a beef broth."

"Same difference."

They ate quietly by the light of a lantern for a moment before Ami spoke.

"I'm sorry, but something's been nagging at me since all of this started to happen."

"What's that?"

"Why? Why overthrow the American government? Americans enjoy more freedoms than many other of the world's peoples."

There was a shared glance around the table and Ami feared she had said something wrong.

"Maybe it's time to dispel the rumors and propaganda that the government has spread." Amara suggested.

"Take it from me, Ami." Drake began, "Being homeless opens your eyes to a lot of problems within the system. For a very long time now, I have seen and heard and understood. The answer to your question is both extremely simple and extremely complicated.

"It begins with the politicians. For the past half-century or so, the people have voted, consistently, for one of two major political parties, either the Democrats, or the Republicans. It was thought, and still is to a degree, that the Democrats represented the common worker's interests with less government spending and lower taxes. The Republicans, on the other hand, represented the high income percentage of the nation with less taxes on _business _and less stringent wage laws. For some time, these parties competed for control of the Congress, the Democrats would have it for a while, then the Republicans would control it.

"When George Bush came into office, the younger not the older, things began to go downhill rapidly. Government spending went up as did taxes. The banks were allowed to roam free as they will, setting home mortgage rates, and prices, at whatever they so chose. A few years ago, I saw an add for a town home in crime ridden Northwest D.C. going for five hundred thousand dollars. And there were people stupid enough to apply for such loans. People who made less than thirty thousand a year."

"Don't forget about outsourcing." Amara reminded him.

"I was coming to that. With the proliferation of the internet, businesses began to send much of their work overseas because of less stringent labor laws and cheaper labor. People who had good paying jobs suddenly found themselves without any kind of work whatsoever, aside from minimum wage jobs that paid next to nothing, and those filled up fast.

"People began to use their credit cards to pay off these home mortgages, buy food, pay car payments, education, really everything. Always assuming that they would get another job soon but jobs, even minimum wage jobs, were becoming more and more scarce."

"Is that what happened to you?" Ami asked.

"That was part of the reason. Another part was my own stupidity. However, back to the subject we were on. As jobs became scarce, businesses began to lose money and the layoffs began to increase. With less people working and, subsequently, less money flowing, businesses had to lay off workers and cut pay, which began the cycle again. Businesses began to shut down and more jobs were lost. The government threw money into the private sector, which was spent not on increasing the workforce but on bonuses for the bosses. There was not enough oversight into the project, to make sure that the money was spent on it's intended purposes.

"The people began to get frustrated as politicians promised change and better oversight. Each party made the same promises and each knew that they would never keep those promises. The people voted, at one point, for an independent president, one who wasn't affiliated with any party. But they found that he was the exact same as the other two. That was the only difference, the names.

"Anger and disillusionment spread as the government was caught, on several occasions, spying on their own citizens. Have you ever read George Orwell's _1984_?"

"No."

"Well, in it, the government of this big, one-world socialist country was represented by an entity known as 'Big Brother', who was always watching everyone and everything. Any dissidents in the government were found out, executed, and labeled as terrorists.

"That's what was happening here, but not to the same degree. There was a tracking wire from the FBI found on a college student's car. The student in question hadn't been accused of anything illegal, nor was he doing anything illegal, but they were watching him all the same. And then there was the e-mail tracking. The government was constantly looking through people's e-mail, looking for any type of terrorist activity."

"Big Brother is watching." Amara muttered, spooning soup into her mouth.

"That was a line from the book, _1984. _And, it's not an exaggeration."

"I still don't understand. Didn't your president Obama try to fix all this with his nationalization of industry?"

"Americans have always believed that government should stay out of businesses and businesses should stay out of government. But it has never been that way. So called 'special interest groups' have always had members of Congress in their back pocket. Industry was never meant to be nationalized. The government and private businesses are two separate entities. For that reason, and that reason alone, it simply didn't work. Finally, the people became so fed up with the broken promises and back door dealings that we all said to hell with it. It began with protest marches and escalated to rioting and, finally, this revolution. We dragged the former president out of the White House and lynched him right there on the front lawn. That was not the best idea. In fact, that was probably the worst thing we could do. But the people were desperate, nothing else seemed to work. And, here we are today without any idea of what to do next."

Ami ate a little as she mulled over his words, "So, what do we do now?"

"What can we do? The best thing we can do is survive until some semblance of order returns. Maybe it will be better than before, maybe worse."

She shook her head, "No, I don't think it can get any worse than this."

"Oh, trust me, kid. It could always get worse."

l-l-l-l

"I call first watch." Amara called.

"Second." voted Michelle.

"Third." Trista called

Ami shrugged, "I'll do fourth watch, I guess."

"Ami, honey. Why don't you do first watch with Amara so she can teach you what you need to know. Drake can to fourth."

Amara led Ami out to the edge of the woods that surrounded the cleared land. Just at the edge, in a small opening, was a boat on a trailer. Amara scaled up a small ladder and climbed onto the boat, "Come on up."

"Is it safe?"

"Yeah, it's safe. Just watch your step.

It took Ami quite a bit longer to climb up onto the boat. The boat had a small cabin, barely large enough for two people, situated towards the bow. Amara stepped inside, selected a new propane cylinder for the tiny propane heater, and turned it on. Slowly, the interior of the cabin began to heat up.

"You keep watch in an old boat?"

"Sure. It's drier than standing around outside. Warmer too. Open that window on your side and stick your head out." Amara said, demonstrating.

Ami did as she was told and looked out over the land. The boat was in the perfect position and she could see everything from her concealment, "Why do you keep watch?"

Amara poured a cup of coffee from the thermos Michelle had prepared and handed it to Ami before pouring a cup for herself, "These are dangerous times. People could come creeping in and attack us before we even knew what was happening. That almost happened once. Luckily, the idiots made enough noise to wake the dead on their way in."

"What did you do?"

"We killed them."

Ami took a sip of her coffee, "So now you keep watch."

"That's right. If someone's coming, we raise an alarm."

"An alarm? How?"

"We fire a shot to warn the others, usually at the trespasser. If there are others, we can get a defense together quickly and easily."

Something let out an unearthly shriek in the trees behind them. Ami nearly wet herself at the noise, "Kami-sama, what the hell was that?"

Amara sipped at her brew, "Relax. It was just an owl."

"An _owl_?"

"Yeah. He lives in those trees behind us. You'll hear him on occasion. He gets pretty noisy but that's about it. He must be getting ready to go hunting."

"I always thought owls said 'Hoot'."

Amara chuckled, "You know, I don't think I've ever heard an owl say 'Hoot'. I've heard them say anything but 'Hoot'."

"Amara, look at that cat." Ami cried, pointing at the creature that slipped across the field as silently as a ghost.

"If that cat could talk, he'd say he was a fox."

"Yes, he is very pretty. I don't know if I'd describe him like that."

"No, I mean he's a fox, not a cat."

"A fox?" Ami watched the fox excitedly. She had never seen one before, except once in the zoo but never before in the wild.

Amara chuckled again, "Just where are you from, anyway?"

"Juuban prefecture."

"Which is in...?"

"Tokyo. In Japan."

"Oh, a city girl. Probably never been to the great outdoors before."

"Well, not like this. I've been camping with my parents a few times, when I was young."

They continued to watch in silence before Amara spoke again, "You know. There's something Drake failed to mention about the collapse of the government that I think you should know."

"What, the outsourcing and bureaucracy wasn't enough?"

"No, what really did it was capitalism."

"But capitalism is good, at least that's what I was always taught."

"Capitalism is good, to a degree. It had simply gotten completely out of hand. The workers weren't being paid what was fair. I worked a minimum wage job right after I got out of high school and was paid seven dollars an hour. I was living with my parents so it allowed me enough money to get my car situated to where I could begin racing for a living.

"A few years later, I checked in with a friend of mine from school, who was working at the same job. He was only making fifty cents an hour more, even though the cost of living had risen five or ten dollars at that time. All the money that businesses were making went right to the bosses, who were making quite a bit of money anyways. People had to work two or three full time jobs simply to make ends meet, forgetting completely about getting ahead. A single bedroom apartment, the cheapest I could find, was eight hundred dollars a month. However, the average worker was making anywhere from four to six hundred a month. A bedroom, _in somebody's house_, cost, at the cheapest, four hundred and fifty a month. And those were few and far between. If I still worked at that job I had, right out of high school, I wouldn't be able to afford my own place, much less anything else."

"Is that what happened to Drake?"

"What happened to Drake is a very sad story and what has turned him into the cynic he is today. He had a job that payed a living wage, a bedroom in a house that he managed, and he was going to school. There wasn't much money to spread around but he could make it well enough. What happened was that his landlady, the lady who owned the house, hadn't paid her mortgage in some years. He only found out about it when the foreclosure notice came in the mail. He had called her about it and she claimed to be completely ignorant of it. She then tried to evict him with ten days notice, even though the law states that it's thirty days written notice. He dug in and held his ground. On the eleventh day, she shut off the utilities, which he had been paying, in full, each month."

"How could she have done that?"

"The accounts were still in her name, which meant that she had full control over them. That was the stupidity that he was referring to. A few days following that, he was laid off from his job and couldn't afford schooling anymore."

"Couldn't he have gone back with his parents instead of living on the street?"

"Drake and his mother do not get along at all. She's hell-bent on the whole 'happy family' scenario while he just wanted to be left alone."

"Well, what's wrong with having 'happy family' time, as you put it?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. And he was more than willing to cooperate, but on his terms. She either didn't realize that or refused to acknowledge it. Either way, it created a rift between them, she was overly-controlling while he was more relaxed. That's what he says, I don't know, I've never met the woman."

"Does he know if she's still alive?"

Amara shook her head, "And, again as he says, he doesn't give a damn. I think he's had two or three meet-and-greets with her since they parted ways and none of those ended on happy terms. In fact, they turned into shouting matches within an hour. Drake can be a stubborn ass who prefers not to compromise. He does what he wants and, so long as he's not hurting anyone, he sees no problem with it. He's set in his ways and, so long as he's left alone, he'll be your best friend. It's when you try to force him to socialize that it can get ugly. If he wishes to socialize, he'll come find you and it may only be for a few minutes. Social situations make him uncomfortable for whatever reason. He just doesn't like people. He thinks that nine out of every ten people one meets is an idiot."

"What's your opinion on that?"

Amara shrugged, "I agree. Most people don't pack the intelligence to carry a decent conversation, much less do anything worthwhile."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: To avoid confusion and save keystrokes, any sentences in Italics are in Japanese._

Ami and Amara continued to sit quietly as the watch dragged on, "Amara!" Ami hissed, "Amara!"

"What? What is it?"

"Nothing. I just thought you might have fallen asleep over there."

Amara yawned, "I'm not far from it, to tell the truth." She leaned out of the window and over the bow of the boat, "Where the hell is Shelly?"

"Who?"

"Michelle. Back when we were young, I couldn't say 'Michelle' without spitting on everybody present. It was cute at first, but then everybody got annoyed, particularly her. So I began calling her Shelly because that was easier to say. It just stuck with her."

"What if I called her 'Shelly'?"

"I would do that only if you wanted her to beat you like a drum. She only lets me get away with it."

Michelle slipped cat-like into the boat's cabin and signaled Ami to be silent as she crept up behind Amara, "What's keeping her?" Amara muttered.

"Boo!" Michelle cried.

Amara won the gold in the vertical-jump-and-gasp event, "Damn it, woman. Don't ever scare me like that again. I could have shot you."

She laughed, "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist."

Amara rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Take up your post so us hard-working people can get some well-earned sleep."

Michelle had brought up three of the new AK-47s and handed two to Amara and Ami, "Drake and Trista already have theirs. Hotaru's running a bit of a fever. She's going to try to sleep it off but, if it's any worse in the morning, Drake says he's got some Willow Bark tea that should do the trick."

"Tea?"

"We try to ration drugs around here." Amara explained, "We have to go into town for any kind of medicine, which we try to do only if necessary." She turned to Michelle, "Are you ready? I'd like to get some sleep."

Michelle yawned and stretched, trying to wake herself up, "Yeah. Good night."

Amara got up and climbed down off of the boat, "Good _night._ You coming, Ami?"

"Right behind you."

As they arrived back at the shed, Ami was surprised to find that nobody was asleep in the hay, "Where did they all go?"

"Over here." Amara whispered, "and keep quiet." She parted the hay to reveal a door into a very large tent. Ami spotted the sleeping forms of Trista and Hotaru but Drake was no where to be found.

"He's around here." Amara replied to her unasked question, "Somewhere." Ducking inside the tent, she crawled over to Hotaru and tucked the blankets around her chin before giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead, "Good night, princess. Sleep well."

Amara laid down next to Hotaru and Ami laid down on her other side but, as tired as she was, Ami couldn't fall asleep. She lay there, beneath the blankets, for some time. She tried every trick, could think of, from meditation to counting sheep, to will herself to sleep. Finally giving up, she pulled her jacket back on, took up her rifle, and climbed out of the tent. A bit of a walk, she figured, might be what she needed to cure her of this insomnia.

As she passed by the boat, Michelle called out in a hushed voice, "Ami, is that you?"

"Yes. I can't sleep so I thought I'd go for a bit of a walk."

"Alright. Be careful."

"I will."

She continued over to the road, wandering up the trail to the gate, which had been locked for the night. She looked both ways up the paved road that ran by the property and was preparing to continue on when a hand clamped over her mouth and, with a muffled cry, she was snatched back into the bushes.

Landing on her rump, she looked over at Drake, wondering what he was doing. With a finger to his lips, he signaled her to be silent. She quickly nodded her compliance and he released her.

"What was that all about?" She whispered.

"Shut up." he hissed back, "and look."

Parting the bushes with her hands, Ami peered out and saw what he was indicating. A lone figure was wandering up the road, heading directly for them.

"You stay here." Drake instructed, "I'm going to circle around behind them and, if they continue on, I'll return. If they try to hop the gate, kill them."

She watched as Drake disappeared into the shadow and, only when he was gone did she notice that he had left his rifle behind. She considered calling out to him but thought against it. Her voice would certainly give away her position and, besides, she had no idea where he was or if he was even within earshot.

She saw movement behind the lone traveler. Drake had come out onto the road and was drawing something from behind his back. It took her a moment to recognize the long and slender silhouette of a small sword. Where he could have gotten such a weapon, she could only guess. He shadowed the wanderer, staying a few feet behind and closer to the treeline.

The traveler neared the gate and paused, considering whether or not to risk it. Ami recognized the shape of a woman. There was something familiar about her. The shape, the height. It all clicked as the woman stepped up to the gate and the moonlight fell across her face. It was Minako, battered and bruised but recognizable nonetheless.

She saw Drake slip up behind her, seize a fistful of her hair, and jerk Minako's head back. There was not a moment to lose as he slipped the blade beneath her chin, "Time to die, bitch." He hissed.

Ami grabbed his wrist, "Don't you dare hurt her."

"What the hell? Let go."

"No. I know her. She's okay. Let her go."

He complied, releasing her and stepping back but keeping at the ready. Ami scrambled over the gate and took Minako into her arms, "_Minako-chan. I'm so glad you're alive_."

Minako pulled back, "_Who are you_?"

"_It's me. Ami_."

"Ami?" She burst into tears and clung to Ami as if her life depended on it, "_Oh, god. I thought I'd never see you again_." She sobbed.

Ami slipped out of her jacket and draped it around Minako's shoulders. The light shirt the woman had on was hardly enough to protect against the cold. Minako was thin, too thin, and she felt feverish. Some of her cuts looked infected. "_You're okay now. You're safe. I've got you_." She began to lead Minako around the gate. There was just enough room for them to pass, "_Come on, let's get you cleaned up and squared away. You're safe now_."

Michelle trotted over from the boat, "What the hell is going on? Who is this?"

"This is a friend of mine, Minako Aino." Ami caught Minako as she shifted and nearly fell, "She's a little out of sorts."

Michelle peered at Minako, "Is she drunk?"

"No, she's very weak and delirious. I don't know how long she'd been wandering around like this before she found her way here. This is one of the friends I told you about."

"Well, take her up to the shelter and get her taken care of. She's your responsibility now."

l-l-l-l

Ami dabbed the alcohol soaked cotton swab into one of Minako's cuts, causing the blonde to flinch, "_Have you found any of the others_?"

Minako swallowed, "_Only you...and Usagi_."

Ami turned the blonde to face her, "_You saw Usagi? Where is she_?"

"_You don't want to know_."

"_What happened to her_?"

"_They killed her, Ami_." Minako gasped, fighting for composure, "_They killed her and they ...and they... they ate her. I tried to help her. I tried but I couldn't. I wasn't strong enough. I barely got away. They almost got me too._" She collapsed against Ami and began to cry, "_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, Ami. I never wanted anything bad to happen to her_."

"_No,_" Ami soothed, running a hand down Minako's filthy hair, "_No, of course not. This isn't your fault_." Usagi was gone, dead. Her best friend, since they had both been children, had been eaten by a gang, a pack of animals. This information disturbed her less than she thought it should. Perhaps, which all that she had seen and done recently, she had grown insensitive. She lifted Minako's head up once more, "_It's going to be okay. We're together now and we'll find Rei and Makoto, you keep that in mind_."

Minako nodded and gave a watery smile. Ami resumed her work, "_We're going to get you cleaned up, a nice bath, some hot food, and then, bed. Everything will look better in the morning, it always does. And you can sleep as long as you need to. You're safe here."_

"_Who was that woman_?"

"_Her name is Michelle. She and her family live here. There's Amara, Trista, and Hotaru. Oh, and Drake. He's the guy who tried to kill you_."

"_I don't think I like him_."

"_He was just trying to protect us. He saw you and didn't know if you were trouble or not. Amara did something similar to me before I arrived. That was after Trista beat the shit out of me_."

Minako sat back and stared at her friend, stunned, "_That's, quite possibly, the first time I've ever heard you swear, Ami_."

"_Well, it's not like I run around screaming expletives. But, yes, I do, occasionally, swear_."

Drake tapped her on the shoulder, "Bath's ready."

"Thanks." She helped Minako over to the bath tub, which steamed in the chilly air, and began to help her undress. It took a moment before Ami realized she had never heard Drake leave. She turned to find him still behind her, "Do you mind?"

"No."

She glared at him.

"Oh. Oh. Oh, yeah. No, sorry." He moved away into the night.

Minako moaned softly as she settled into the hot water. Ami handed her a bar of soap, "_You get cleaned up. I'll go and get you something to eat_."

l-l-l-l

Ami had to admit that Minako seemed so much healthier after a bath, a solid meal, and some clean clothes but she still looked pale and old beyond her years, "A good night's sleep will fix that up." she told the blonde, leading her into the tent. The watch had changed and Michelle had returned to her bed while Trista now hunkered inside the boat. Drake was still wandering around out there, she could hear him, if not see him, every time he passed close enough by. Ami wasn't entirely certain he ever slept.

Ami unrolled a sleeping bag and gathered a few spare blankets for Minako, who settled down and began to drowse almost immediately. Ami pulled her close and held her.

"_It's not like that_." Minako mumbled sleepily.

"_No. It's not. But it is cold and we need to huddle together to keep warm_."

"_Warm_." Minako sighed and fell asleep.

Ami continued to lie awake a little longer, mourning Usagi and worrying over her two remaining friends who were still lost and, probably, dead. She hoped to find them, or they find her, sometime soon.


	7. Chapter 7

A heavy rain was falling by the time Ami awoke. The day was, oddly enough, warm for late November. Drake was already gone and not expected to return before nightfall. Ami wished she could have gone with him. It would be easier to find her friends if she moved about a bit more.

Carefully, she cleaned and bandaged her burned leg, wincing every time she accidentally popped a blister, before she pulled on her boots and stepped out. The inside of the shed was deserted but Ami could see Michelle, on her knees, in the vegetable garden, gathering up a harvest.

"You're actually doing this in the rain?" Ami asked as she raised the hood on her jacket and stepped out.

"Has to be done." Michelle replied, "How's your friend?"

"She's resting. She'll be okay, I think."

"How many others did you say you had?"

"Three others, but one's dead."

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

Michelle returned to her work, "I'm sorry to hear about that. What about the other two?"

"No word."

Michelle smiled gently, "Well, don't give up hope. I'm sure they'll turn up. Now, how about you take these back into the shelter." She handed Ami the basket of vegetables that she had already harvested.

A gunshot echoed through the air and both women looked up, "I think that was Amara."

"Is she hunting?" Ami asked.

"Yes. She complained that she was tired of vegetables, always vegetables, and wanted some meat for dinner. Personally, I think keeping meat now would be a waste, as warm as it is."

"You could always smoke the meat. It'll keep longer that way."

Michelle laughed, "We don't know the first thing about smoking meat. Do you?"

"Well, no." Ami admitted with a shrug.

"Well, then, there's that idea out the window."

A deer galloped out into the clearing, dragging it's injured leg. After a few strides, it collapsed beside the boat. Amara burst out of the treeline, "Where'd it go?"

Michelle indicated.

"Thanks, Shelly."

"My name's Michelle." She retorted, "Now that you can say it, do so."

Minako had awoken and was struggling out of the tent. Ami set down her basket and helped the woman, "_Easy, now_."

"_It's raining_." Minako observed as she gazed about blearily.

"_Yes. Yes, it is. But you'll stay dry under here. Now, let's get you some breakfast._"

Amara dragged the deer's carcass into the shed.

"Don't you dare skin that thing in here." Michelle cried, "You'll attract animals and we'll have to spend half the night chasing them away."

"For your information, Shelly. I had absolutely no intention of skinning it in here. I just want to get out of the rain for a minute."

Minako stared at Amara, who turned and returned the gaze, causing Minako to shrink against Ami in fear, "_Why is that man staring at me_?" she whispered.

"_That's not a man. She's a woman and her name is Amara. You remember, I told you about her last night. She's just curious about you_."

"You guys are making me nervous, speaking in a language I don't understand. It makes me think you're plotting." Amara said, a little brusquely.

"I'm sorry, Amara. Minako doesn't speak English very well. She knows a few words and phrases but I'm afraid that's about it."

"_Is she angry with me?_"

"_No, It's okay. She's like that sometimes. Don't let it bother you._"

Minako turned to Amara and stumbled through what little English she knew, "Sorry. Your home. I go?"

"What did she say?"

"She apologizes for invading your home and she'll leave if you want her to." Ami translated.

Amara waved away Minako's concern, "No, it's alright. She can stay."

Minako brightened, "I stay? Yes?"

"Yes. You stay."

Minako grinned and darted for Amara, sticking out her hand, "Thank you. My name Aino Minako."

Amara couldn't help but chuckle a little at the exaggerated gesture as she took the hand, "Hello Minako. My name _is_ Amara Ten'oh."

Minako pumped Amara's hand enthusiastically, grinning like an idiot as she bowed repeatedly.

l-l-l-l

The rain ceased shortly before noon but the day, though sunny, had become sweltering. The humidity was so thick, it made breathing difficult.

"Is it ever this hot for November?" Ami panted as everybody rested in the shade of the shelter. It was too hot to do anything else.

"Never." Michelle replied, fanning herself, "Which has got me worried. A few years ago, there was a massive storm that, pretty much, shat Tornadoes. The weather was just like this, followed this exact same pattern, right before the storm hit."

"I saw some black clouds on the Northwestern horizon. We might have a serious storm before nightfall." Amara explained, pointing in the direction she saw the storm coming from. She turned to Hotaru, who was sprawled out in the middle of the dirt floor, "You hang in there, princess."

Hotaru didn't reply but stuck her thumb in the air by way of acknowledgment.

"_I hope the others are okay._" Minako said as she peeled her sodden bangs from her forehead.

_"Hopefully, they found a way home. Or, at least, are together and safe."_

"_That girl, Hotaru. Is she from Japan?"_

_ "It's a possibility. Michelle said she adopted her but I'm not quite certain from where."_

_ "Hotaru-chan?"_

Hotaru sat up, leaning on her elbows.

"_Do you speak Japanese?" _Minako asked.

"Hai." Hotaru replied before flopping back into her original position, "_I lived in Japan, near Nagasaki, until I was about twelve when Mama adopted me."_

_ "What happened to your parents?"_

_ "They died. Car accident, I think. I was very young."_

_ "I'm sorry to hear that."_

Hotaru shrugged, _"Shit happens, such is life."_

_ "Do you like living here? With Kai'oh-san?"_

_ "If it wasn't for the war, it'd be pretty nice, yeah. I hate not being able to go to school, God, I never thought I'd say that. I miss my friends. I just want to go home."_

Ami crouched down next to Hotaru and patted her shoulder, "_Don't worry. Wars don't last forever. It may seem that way now but, it'll end someday."_

_ "I hope you're right, Ami-chan. I'm tired of living in the woods, scratching an existence from nothing. It was kind of fun, at first, but, the novelty wore off long ago."_

l-l-l-l

Dark clouds marched across the sky, blocking out the sun but doing little to relieve the oppressive humidity. A torrential downpour began, only to suddenly stop. It began again, and stopped again. The wind picked up, blowing debris across the open yard as the storm made it's entrance.

"We've gotta get into the shelter!" Amara cried over the howling wind.

Hotaru yelped as a hailstone the size of a pea bounced off of her head. Larger hailstones began to clatter off of the shed's corrugated tin roof as she raced back into the shelter. Michelle had opened a trapdoor hidden at the back of the shed and began to motion everyone towards it.

"What about Drake?" Ami cried over the turbulence of the storm.

In response, a truck's air-horn bellowed across the land as Drake's truck came barreling in from the _back_ of the property, squealing and sliding to a halt as he leaped out, "Tornado!" He bellowed as he ran towards them, "Get everybody under cover. Tornado's coming."

That seemed to light a fire under everybody's ass as they all dropped into the cellar beneath the shed. Michelle closed the door behind them, throwing multiple bolts to lock it in place against the suction of Mother Nature's most erratic and destructive child.

Using one of Ami's lighters, Amara carefully lit a gas lantern, flooding the small cellar with a warm, buttery light. A pale Hotaru had stuffed herself into a corner, nursing the bump on her head. Michelle and Trista had both settled onto a bench, Trista keeping an eye out for any cockroaches. Minako huddled against Ami, who tried to keep her own panic down as the wind whistled around the door.

"It's gonna take hours to clean up that mess." Drake muttered as he paced.

"Did you-?" Trista began.

"A couple of catalytic heaters and some propane. I didn't get a chance to hit the hospital, if that's what you're about to ask. This storm chased me back early. I had the truck's CB set to NOAA."

"Who?" Ami asked

"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They run weather band radio for the entire country. They didn't say anything about Tornadoes, though. Just about a big storm. I remember that weather pattern, years ago. Came back as soon as the wind started to pick up."

"Are you heading out to the hospital tomorrow?"

Drake nodded, "Yeah, why?"

"It's just that, I'd like to tag along. It might be easier to find my friends if I move around a bit more. If I stay here and wait for them to come to me, they might wander right past and not even know it."

"I can see the logic in that." he replied, "Alright. You can come. But, you'll have to do exactly as I say, when I say, how I say and you will not get in my way."


	8. Chapter 8

It was still dark when Drake woke Ami, "Time to go, kid."

The Tornado from the night before had missed them by only a few hundred yards, knocking down several trees but leaving the shelter and vehicles completely untouched. This was one of the odd things about Tornadoes, Michelle had explained. They could destroy a single house in a community but leave all the others undamaged. The rest of the group would have their work cut out for them, clearing the downed trees from the property but, at least, there would be plenty of firewood.

The storm had brought in a cold front from the north, returning the temperature to seasonal norms. Ami stretched as she shrugged into her jacket and pulled on her gloves. The moonlight made navigating the yard easy as she wandered over to Drake's truck, where he was pumping fuel into the tanks.

Ami had been instructed in the use of these particular pumps, which used a hand crank to suck fuel up from the barrels and pumped it through a hose into the tank. It wasn't particularly difficult work but it was tedious and time consuming. Finally, with the tanks full, Ami gathered her guns and blades and climbed up into the cab, where Drake was quietly smoking as he waited for the engine to warm up.

"You know that's bad for you." Ami pointed out.

"Yeah, something like five hundred carcinogens or something. But, you know what, I don't care."

Throwing the truck in gear, they pulled away from the shelter and out onto the road. The road was, for the most part, clear. Wherever trees blocked the way, they had to backtrack and find another route.

Ami kept her rifle at the ready, a fresh magazine already loaded with two spares in her pocket. That gave her ninety rounds to waste anybody that decided to give them trouble. Drake kept a lighter caliber .22 with him. She had already seen his marksmanship abilities and was convinced that he had been born with a gun in his hands.

"What do we need to get?" Ami asked.

"Medicines. Michelle wants suture kits and painkillers. Antibiotics and bandages and a few other things."

"And the hospital will have all of these?"

"Yeah. Hence, why it's a hospital."

"I figured the drug addicts would have raided it when all of this started."

"They did, but they left a lot behind."

"Drake, something Michelle mentioned a while ago has me concerned."

"Yeah."

"She said it's open season on foreigners."

"Yeah. And?"

"Why?"

"It's a little something I like to call the Bubba Effect."

"Bubble Effect?"

"No. Bubba. B-u-b-b-a. It means, essentially, that if you're not a 'bubba'. If you're not from around here, don't look like an American, don't sound like an American, don't act like an American, you're a foreign terrorist, here to take over the country."

"Why?"

"Why, why, why. Is that all you know, Ms. Ami Why-why-why? Listen, after nine-eleven, the government had developed a color-coded system about terror threats, which sent everybody off the deep end in the paranoia department. Now, without a government to protect us, there's a general rule of 'shoot first, ask later'."

"Why?"

"Why, why, why. Listen, it's just the way things are. I have no reasoning behind it. I didn't invent it. It's simply the law of the jungle now. Kill or be killed. Man did not rise to the top of the food chain by being the smartest, or even the meanest. We got where we are today by being the craziest, most murderous motherfuckers in the jungle."

"But, my friends are still out there. What will that mean for them?"

"That's a good question. Either they'll keep their wits about them and not trust anybody other than other 'Bubbas', such as yourself. Or, they'll end up like your Usagi, on somebody's dinner plate. I know it sounds harsh and I sound like an ass but, this is not the time to sugarcoat anything."

l-l-l-l

The hospital was a small country emergency room next to a library. The doors and windows were all smashed and a few unlucky junkies were sprawled in the floor. Drake gave one a nudge with his foot.

"Dead." He declared, crouching down and digging through the man's pockets.

"Looking for Identification?" Ami asked.

"Money." He replied, fishing out the man's wallet and pulling out a few torn bills.

"You actually steal from dead people? That's _desecration_."

"Might as well. He ain't gonna use it."

"But we take everything we need."

"Not everything. There's some things we have to pay for. The prices are steep."

The hallways were dark with shadow. Ami crept along these, trying to keep her movements silent so as not to attract any unwanted attention. A broken cabinet in the pharmacy was filled with massive bottles of painkillers and antibiotics. She began to pack her bag with as many as she could.

Some animal sense told her she wasn't alone exactly one moment before she felt the cold steel of a gun barrel press against the back of her skull.

"Turn around, slowly." a soft, feminine voice commanded.

Raising her hands, Ami rose to her feet. Logic commanded that she do as the woman said. Centuries of instinct shoved logic aside as Ami spun, kicking high, and knocked the woman to the floor. The shotgun skittered away into the darkness.

The woman was up in an instant with a knife. Before Ami could recover her balance, the woman slashed out. Ami's face bloomed with pain and her left eye went dark. Adrenaline helped her ignore the wound as she seized the woman's wrist, spun her around, and pinned her up against the wall.

"Drop the blade or I break your shoulder." Ami commanded, sharply. She was now in complete control of the situation.

The woman struggled a little but had absolutely no leverage to break Ami's grip, _"Damn cunt. I swear, let me loose and your ass is grass or my name's not Kino Makoto."_

"Mako-chan." Ami released Makoto and stepped away as Makoto spun around.

"_You've just made a big fucking mistake."_

"_Mako-chan. Don't."_

There was a moment's hesitation before blinding light blazed through the gloom as Makoto switched on a flashlight. Ami figured, with the slash across her eye, she was quite a sight. She heard Makoto gasp, "_Ami-chan."_ The blade clattered to the floor, "_Oh my God. Oh my God." _

In her panic, Makoto, roughly, seized Ami's head and examined the wound, "_Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh, Ami. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."_ Makoto grabbed a nearby cloth and pressed it against Ami's face, "_It'll be okay. It's not that deep, a scratch really."_ She sounded like she was trying to reassure herself more than Ami.

Pulled to the floor, Ami sat in Makoto's lap as the woman held her tight, pressing the cloth to the wound with a little more force than necessary.

A dim red light shown on them both, "What the hell?"

l-l-l-l

"Easy, easy." Michelle murmured.

Amara, Trista, and Hotaru held Ami down as Michelle worked to suture the wound across Ami's eye. The pain wasn't intolerable but it still caused Ami to shift involuntarily. The others were there to make sure that didn't happen and ruin Michelle's work.

Makoto had been partially right. The blade hadn't gone that deep but it was more than just a scratch. Ami would now have a prominent six-inch scar running across her left eye. The orb itself was undamaged and wouldn't need to be extracted but she was partially blind. The very tip of the knife had grazed the cornea, which had caused the milky-white cataract, that now covered her eye, to grow.

The minute they had returned home, Makoto, overcome with guilt, had disappeared into the surrounding woods, presumably, seeking privacy to gather her thoughts. Ami had sent Drake and Minako after her with a request that they not bother her, only keep her in sight and out of mischief. Ami planned to find her later and have a nice, long, talk.

"It was a shame what happened." Amara commented, shifting her weight to keep Ami still but not hurt her.

"She panicked," Ami replied, taking a breath to steel herself against the pain of Michelle's ministrations, "You did something similar, if you recall, back when we first met."

"I didn't slash your face open." Amara pointed out.

"No, but you did _strangle_ me until I passed out. Anyway, she feels horrible about what happened. Normally, she's quite a loyal and protective friend, rather like you, Amara, but, like I said, she panicked."

"All done." Michelle declared as she layered gauze against the sutures to protect them. "I know I'm probably wasting my breath but take it easy for a while so you don't tear your stitches out."

Ami sat up and began to pull her jacked on, "I'll keep facial expressions to a minimum, that's the best I can offer. But now, I have to find my friend."

l-l-l-l

Ami found Makoto sitting on a log by a stream. Minako and Drake had kept their word and had left her alone, keeping a short distance from the pair.

"_You must hate me." _Makoto muttered.

"_Why would I hate you?"_

_ "I hurt you. I've blinded you."_

_ "Mako-chan, look at me."_

_ "I can't."_

_ "Mako-chan, now._" Makoto slowly turned to her friend, "_I don't hate you. I could never hate you. I can't forgive you because there's nothing to forgive. What happened was an accident. Accidents happen, especially in these circumstances. These people here almost killed me because they thought I was a threat. Then, they almost kill Minako for the same reason. You didn't know who I was and if I meant you harm so you defended yourself. It's to be expected. You've done nothing wrong."_

_ "But you're eye-"_

_ "Fuck my eye. I have a spare."_

Makoto blinked, and then smiled, _"Y'know, that has to be the first time I've ever heard you swear."_


	9. Chapter 9

"What do you think?" Michelle asked as she finished adjusting the straps.

Ami picked up the small hand-held mirror and glared at her reflection with her one good eye, "I look like a pirate." She commented of the patch Michelle had put over her damaged eye.

"Is that good or bad?"

"I don't _want_ to look like a pirate." Ami complained.

Michelle looked a little uncomfortable, "Well, see Ami, the thing is, looking at your bad eye makes us somewhat...uneasy. It's a little...what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Disturbing?" Ami suggested.

"Well...yes."

Ami nodded, "I see."

"I'm sorry."

"No, no, no, no. There's nothing to feel sorry about. The truth is, I found it a little disturbing myself and Makoto keeps crying every time she sees my bad eye so this works out better for everyone."

Michelle smiled, "I'm glad you feel that way."

"Still," Ami continued, "There's only one person who's opinion really matters and she's not here to give it."

"You're friend, Rei?"

Ami nodded, "I'm scared for her. Two weeks we've been apart and there's no word."

"That doesn't mean anything, Ami." Michelle pointed out, "There are, literally, infinite directions she could go in. If she decided to move on at all."

"No, she'd keep moving until she found me."

"You're that important to her?"

"And she to me. We're lovers." Ami admitted.

Michelle sat back, a little shocked, "Oh."

"I know a lot of Americans have problems with homosexuals-"

"And we're not among them." Michelle interrupted, "I don't care what some out-of-date words in some dusty old books say. I've had the pleasure of knowing many homosexuals and, in my experience, they're wonderful, polite, hardworking, and respectful people. Which is more than can be said for a lot of these so-called 'Christians'." She added, with just a hint of bitterness.

"Why do you say it like that?"

"There's very few things in this world for which I have no tolerance." Michelle explained, "One of these is Hypocrites. I find it funny that the Christian church, with it's message of love and tolerance, refuses to extend this message to the homosexual community."

Ami nodded, "I understand. In Japan, homosexuals are still very taboo. Generally speaking, they're tolerated but seen as people to be pitied. My friends all know and they're very happy for Rei and I but, still, they're the minority. Which is why we don't display our affection for each other publicly."

"Do you love her?"

"Well, yes, of course but-"

"And does she love you?"

"Yes but, I don't see-"

"Then that's all that matters as far as I'm concerned."

l-l-l-l

No one particularly wanted to venture into town with the threat of a massive snowstorm on the horizon. Michelle was busy gathering up and storing the last harvest of the year with Hotaru. Amara and Drake were hunting game while Trista and Minako cleaned. Ami and Makoto had decided to take Amara's truck, a Ford Excursion, around to the neighboring farms, and search for any supplies that might have been left behind by the former occupants.

In one "Ghost House", as Makoto took to calling it, they had found a great deal of canned goods, fuel, blankets, and even a second, smaller tent. It looked like the owners of the house had fully stocked everything and, promptly, disappeared. Rather like the Ghost Ships that were found, in perfect working order, but without a soul aboard.

Behind the house, was a dilapidated old barn that, Ami thought, might house useful tools.

Makoto went in first and came right back out, "_You don't want to go in there_." She said, softly.

"_Why not_?"

"_There's somebody in there_."

"_Well, maybe they need help or something_."

Makoto shook her head, "_I don't think there's much we can do for them_."

"_Well, if they're already dead, we could, at least, give them a proper burial instead of just leaving them to feed the animals. Good Lord, Makoto, I never thought you could be so heartless_." Ami pushed past Makoto and pulled open the door.

"_Ami, wait. Don't."_

Ami felt a sudden urge of nausea as she saw what Makoto meant. She wanted to scream, to cry, to find the bastards that did this and tear them limb-from-limb. But, mostly, she just wanted to die as she felt the tears roll down her face, "_Rei-chan."_

Rei dangled a few inches above the ground, hanging by her bound wrists. The wire that had been used to bind them was so tight that it had cut into her flesh. She was entirely too thin, looking like a Holocaust survivor as she hung there, head down, showing no signs of life.

_"No."_ Ami whispered as she approached Rei. The woman had been stripped of all her clothing and beaten. One of her beautiful, dark, eyes was covered with a livid bruise and swollen shut. Her face was a horrifying and unrecognizable landscape of swollen flesh. Welts, several of which were still oozing blood, covered her body, showing where her captors had been using a horse whip to beat her. Upon closer inspection, the wire used to bind her revealed itself to be barbed.

A cloth gag had been stuffed, cruelly, in Rei's mouth. Gently, Ami undid the knot and pulled the rag out, "_Rei-chan. Speak to me. Please." _She found a pulse point at the bottom of Rei's jaw and pressed it. A weak throb pressed back. Rei wasn't dead, but, had she been found any later, she would have been beyond any aid.

"_Here, hold her_." Makoto said as she stepped up with a pair of wire clippers.

Ami wrapped her arms around Rei, feeling the unconscious woman tense at her touch. Rei's entire body trembled with cold as Ami tightened her grip and Makoto cut the wire. The sudden shift of weight caused Ami to stumble back a step but Rei hardly weighed anything at all.

"_Go."_ Ami commanded, _"Get a blanket, a good, thick, one."_

Makoto nodded her compliance and handed Ami the cutters. Ami set Rei on the ground, clipped the wires around her wrists and, gently, peeled them away. Rei shifted and moaned in pain.

Ami pulled off her jacket and held Rei tight to her chest, trying to keep her warm until Makoto returned with the blanket, "_You're free, Rei-chan. It's okay, now. I've got you. I'm here._"

"_Ami-chan."_ Rei rasped, weakly.

"_Yes, yes. It's me. I've got you."_

_ "Please. Don't let them hurt me anymore."_

Ami felt tears prickle at her eyes. Rei had always been so tough, so strong. The fact that these bastards had reduced her to begging for protection, had broken her, hurt worse than any wound, "_No, Rei-chan. They won't hurt you anymore. I'll protect you."_

l-l-l-l

Ami bathed and dressed Rei in a loose-fitting, flannel night gown, that had been Trista's, before enclosing her in a sleeping bag. Makoto had pitched the second tent to keep Rei out of the weather and had set up and started one of the catalytic heaters that Drake had gotten. Rei's ribs, several of which had been broken, were bandaged and her right arm was in a sling, her shoulder having been sprained. Carefully, Ami let Rei lean against her as she helped the woman sip from a cup of water while Michelle made a nourishing broth.

"_Come on, Rei-chan. Drink."_ Ami urged.

Rei took a sip and winced, turning her head in refusal of more. Apparently, one of her captors had tried to strangle her, and had done a poor job of it, before leaving her to die.

_"I know it hurts but you need water to help you heal. Please, Rei-chan. Please drink. Do it for me."_

Rei, obediently, took another sip as Michelle opened the tent and handed in the steaming bowl, "How is she?"

"Not much better." Ami admitted, taking the bowl, "It breaks my heart to see her like this."

"She seems pretty tough. She has to be to still be alive after everything they did to her. She'll be okay." And with those words of encouragement, Michelle closed the tent and disappeared.

"_Do you think you could eat something?"_

Rei shook her head, still not able to speak much.

_"Of course, you can. You need to eat to get your strength back and be my Rei of Sunshine again._" It was a silly pet name she had given her girlfriend during the time they had spent together, one stormy afternoon. Ami took a spoonful of the broth, cooled it with a breath, and fed it to Rei, "_Don't give up on me, Rei-chan. I'll take care of you. I love you."_


	10. Chapter 10

The temperature had fallen, dramatically, with the setting of the sun. Ami added another blanket to the pile that was the sleeping Rei before dressing and heading out for her turn at watch. Snow was falling and, already, there was a light dusting on the grass.

With the addition of the second tent, Ami and her friends now had a shelter of their own within the main shelter of the shed, allowing the others to have their tent back, which was becoming a bit cramped with both Makoto and Minako in it.

Also, with Makoto and Minako, there was now nine in the group. Which meant that there were more people to stand watch. Instead of choosing shorter watches, the group had elected for two people to stand watch at a time, instead of just one. One person would sit in the boat while their partner would patrol the camp with irregular spot checks. At the halfway point in the watch, the partners would switch so that one could enjoy the heat and shelter of the boat while the other would patrol. Amara and Ami made up the first set of partners with Michelle and Makoto, Trista and Minako, and, finally, Drake and Hotaru. Eventually, it was hoped that, when she was well enough, Rei would take a watch, replacing Hotaru, who was still too young for a watch on top of her work during the day.

The snow fell pretty heavily, making a light hissing sound as it fell on the grass. If the snow continued like this for the next few days, as Drake had predicted, they would have a few feet of snow on the ground when the storm ended.

Waiting for Amara, Ami took a moment to warm herself by the fire. The fire sat in a heavy, cast-iron bowl and was kept lit through the night, not only for anyone who would find themselves in need of a good defrost, but to provide a reference point for those on watch. It was the responsibility of those on watch to keep the fire going with stoking and fresh wood, of which there was plenty.

"Are you ready?" Amara asked, pulling on her coat and stepping from the tent.

"As I'll ever be." Ami replied.

"Are you warm enough in that? Because, we have heavier coats if you need one."

"No, thanks. This is very warm and heavier than it looks."

They walked out to the boat together, "How's your girlfriend?"

"She's doing better. I think what she needed most was something to eat and some rest. She's sleeping now."

"Listen, Ami. I mean no offense by this but, since Hotaru is still pretty innocent and we're trying to keep her that way, if you and Rei? Is that her name? Decide to...you know...have sex. Just, try to keep the noise down."

"Rei's still pretty badly hurt and she's very weak. I think sex is out of the question for the time being."

"I understand that but when-"

"Don't worry, Amara. Both of us are pretty quiet, anyways."

"Oh, good. Um...Just out of curiosity, what's it like?"

Ami stopped, "I'm sorry?"

"Well, I've always been kind of curious about how two women have sex. I mean, unless they just scissor or something." She gave a visual with her hands, "So...what's it like?"

Ami glared at the taller blonde, "I don't think that's really any of your business."

Amara held up her hands in polite surrender, "Hey, enough said. Sorry for intruding on your personal business. So, do you want the boat, first?"

"I'll patrol. Unless you wanted to patrol, first."

"It doesn't matter to me either way."

Ami started off across the yard. She kept a wary eye on the treeline as she passed it. Given the way her luck had been these past few weeks, she half-expected someone to leap out and attack her simply because it was her turn at watch. Still, she couldn't complain too much. She had her friends back, _most_ of them, at least. And, had made a few new friends

Some part of her mind kept declaring that Minako had been mistaken, that Usagi wasn't dead but Ami assumed that was just the grief talking. There was very little chance that Usagi-chan could have survived long in this new hell. Ami had to admit, as much as she loved Usagi, the girl wasn't the brightest creature to walk the land. She didn't have enough common sense to be able to utilize whatever resources were on hand and she was entirely too trusting.

Ami pushed thoughts of Usagi aside and focused on the new problem, getting home. There was no money for a plane ticket, even if the airplanes were still flying, which she doubted. Sailing was completely out of the question. Even if they could find a boat capable of sailing, literally, around the world, there were the logistics of the issue. There was no way they could find, and stock, enough provisions to keep them comfortable for the trip and nobody knew enough about sailing to attempt such a dangerous trip safely. Their route, as she figured, would take them around the tip of South America, since there was no water route across North America.

Attempting an overland journey was feasible but foolhardy at this time of the year. There were two mountain ranges and a desert in their path. Of course, there were vehicles, Amara's truck, Drake's truck, and Ami's motorcycle but, would they be able to pack enough fuel for the trip.

Movement in the shadows startled Ami. She paused and crouched, listening through the hiss of snow for the sounds of movement. She heard a twig snap and a quiet curse.

She ducked into the trees and circled around to where their visitor was. Bootprints in the snow made an obvious path as Ami followed the shadow, hoping the trespasser would move on but, at the same time, hoping they wouldn't. She still wanted blood after finding Rei in such a sad state.

From what she could see of him, he was slim with short cropped hair and walked with a heavy limp, as if he had been injured recently. Perhaps this _was_ one of Rei-chan's captors, come to find out what had happened to their prize. Ami smiled as she thought of what she would do to them, cocked her gun, and pressed it to his back, "Don't move. Hand's where I can see them."

He gasped audibly and raised his hands, "Please, I don't want any trouble."

Ami paused. The man's voice was rather high-pitched and sounded familiar. Removing one hand from her gun, Ami brought up her flashlight and switched it on, "Turn around."

He obeyed and she saw that he was, in fact, a _she_. And she was _Usagi_. She had cut her hair, abandoning her familiar twin buns for a look similar to Amara's but there was no doubt in Ami's mind that, standing in the beam of her flashlight, was her estranged friend. There was no mistaking the sparkling blue eyes, the tiny, slightly-upturned nose, the elfin ears, _"Usagi-chan."_ Ami breathed in shock.

Usagi's expression changed from abject terror to confusion, "How do you know my name?"

In response, Ami leaped forward and tightly embraced her friend. She bit her lip against the urge to cry but tears flowed freely, "_Oh, how I've missed you_."

Usagi shifted, "Okay, this is getting really weird."

Ami pulled back and wiped her eyes, "_It's me, Usagi-chan. Ami."_

_ "Ami-chan_." With a cry of joy, Usagi tackled Ami, knocking both of them into the snow.

"_But I don't understand,"_ Ami said, as they both got to their feet, "_You're supposed to be dead."_

Usagi blinked, "_I am?"_

_"Yes. Minako said she saw you killed."_

_ "Minako-chan's here, too?"_

_ "And Makoto and Rei, as well. We'd given up hope of finding you. We thought you were dead._"

"_Why would you think that?"_

Ami took a moment to think, "_Well, Minako said she saw you murdered."_

_ "Murdered?"_

_ "And eaten._" Ami confirmed.

Usagi nodded, understanding, "_I saw that. At first, I thought it was Minako. We had gotten separated the day before, but I was really too far away to tell for sure. I waited until the gang left, thinking that, if it was Minako, I could bury her. It wasn't. Just some poor girl who looked like her, or, like me. I gave her a burial anyways."_

_ "This is wonderful news."_

Usagi's nose wrinkled at her friend's odd statement, "_It is?"_

_ "Yes. Well, no, not about the girl but, you're alive. Everyone's going to be so happy."_

Usagi noticed the patch, "_Ami. What happened to your eye?"_

_ "It's a long story but it involves Makoto and I having a bit of a knife fight."_

_ "Makoto did this? Why?"_

Ami giggled, simply ecstatic to have her friend back, "_Like I said, it's a long story. But, come on, come see the girls. They'll be so happy that you're alive. And, we've made a few new friends that I think you'll like."_

_ "New friends?"_

_ "Yes. We owe these wonderful people our lives. They've kept us safe and healthy and we all love them, dearly."_

_ "Then, I should meet them. I owe them my thanks for helping you. Let's go."_

Taking Usagi by the hand, Ami led her out of the woods and across the grass to the boat, "Amara." Ami, quietly, shouted.

The blonde stuck her head out of one of the windows, "Yeah?"

"We've found another one."

"Shelly said you only had three others."

"Because I told her that one had been killed." Ami saw Usagi shoot her a questioning look, "But, it turns out, that was just a case of mistaken identity."

"Oh. Well, that's good."

Leading Usagi around to the shed, Ami stuck her head in the smaller tent, "_Makoto. Minako_."

There were a couple of groans and grunts.

"_Girls, come out_."

Makoto groaned again, "_Is it time for watch change, already? It feels like I just got to sleep."_

_ "Come on, now."_

_ "Ami, go away. It's the middle of the night and not time for my watch, yet." _Minako growled.

Usagi reached in and gave Makoto's foot a tug, "_Come on, lazies."_

Both girls sat up and stared owlishly out of the tent, "_Usagi?"_

_ "The one and only._"

Instinct told Ami to move. She stepped, nimbly, to the side as both women leaped out of the tent and tackled Usagi, laughing and sobbing in pure joy, babbling as they both tried to tell her, at the same time, how much they had missed her, how much they loved her, how happy they were that she was alive and well.

There was another groan from inside the tent, "_Who's making all that noise?"_ Rei stuck her head out, leaning on her good arm.

_"Rei-chan."_ Usagi gasped, "_What happened to you? You look horrible."_

She went in to embrace Rei when Ami stopped her, _"Be gentle. She's been hurt, badly."_

_ "Ami-chan, I am nothing, if not gentle."_ And, true to her word, Usagi, very gently, embraced Rei, "_It's so good to see you all again. Even if you are a little worse for wear."_

"What the hell?" Michelle wondered as she stepped from her tent, pulling on a coat.

"Michelle, wonderful news," Ami cried, "Usagi is alive."

"And who's Usagi?"

"The friend we all thought was dead."

"Oh. Well that is wonderful news. My God, if she was a little taller, she'd be the spitting image of Amara." Michelle went over to shake Usagi's hand, "Hi, I'm Michelle Kaioh."

Usagi smiled, "Ms. Kai'oh, Thank you so much for helping my friends. It would be a wonderful world if everyone was like you."

Michelle blushed at the compliment, "Thank you, Usagi." She turned to Makoto, "Are you ready? It's almost our turn."

"Yes. Give me one moment, please." Makoto replied.

Usagi was a little confused, _"Their turn for what?"_

_"We take turns keeping watch while the others sleep." _Ami explained, "_It's a safety precaution."_

_ "I'd like to help. It's the least I can do."_

_ "Well, Maybe you can take Hotaru's watch with Drake."_

_ "That sounds like a good idea. Just one question, who's Hotaru and Drake?"_

_ "Michelle's daughter and a friend." _Ami pulled Usagi into the tent with Minako and Rei, who were settling back down, "_You can meet them tomorrow. It's late and we both had a long day tomorrow."_

This miraculous event, finding Usagi, eased Ami's troubled mind and allowed her the best sleep she had had in a long time. Now, the only problem left to solve, how would they get home.


	11. Chapter 11

Ami was happy to see that, in the few days after she had been found, near death, Rei was healing nicely, looking much healthier, and nearly back to her self. She had even gained some weight back and was eating solid foods, again. As it was, they were cuddled together, simply enjoying being near each other after being apart for so long.

"_I love you_." Ami murmured in her lover's ear.

"_I love you, too_." Rei replied from somewhere around Ami's jawline, "_I just hate what Makoto did to you. As soon as I'm better, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind."_

_ "Don't you dare. If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. What happened was an accident. She didn't know who I was and was simply defending herself."_

_ "That's no excuse." _Rei pouted.

Ami sighed and settled back down. It was still a few hours before dawn and the cold had kept her from sleeping well.

_"You're finally getting back your old shape."_ Ami commented, _"When we found you, Kami-sama Rei-chan, I thought you were dead. You looked so sick. You scared me, Rei-chan."_ She cuddled a little closer to the woman, "_Don't ever scare me like that again, you silly bitch."_

_ "I thought I was going to die._" Rei replied, _"I was so sure I was going to die. I prayed for it. I begged for them to kill me but they just laughed and beat me harder. I was scared, Ami-chan. All I could ever think about was that I'd never see you again and how much that scared me. I didn't know if you were alive or dead or, God forbid, in the same position I was."_

_ "But, we're okay, now. All we have to do is figure out a way to get home."_

Rei took a shuddering breath, "_I hate it here."_

_ "Rei-chan, please don't cry. We're going to be alright."_

_ "I hate it here_." Rei whispered again, "_I'm tired of being cold, tired of being hungry, tired of living in fear for my life. I just want to go home."_

_ "And we will. You and me, Usagi, Makoto, Minako, we'll go home just as soon as we can figure out how. And the others can come with us, if they want. I don't want to just leave them behind."_

_ "Nor do I." _Rei replied, _"They're wonderful people who have done so much for us and asked nothing in return. I'd hate to abandon them to fate and not repay our debt but, how? I doubt their passports are up-to-date, if they have them at all. And, even if we manage to take them with us, will they be able to get in and not be deported?"_

Ami, gently, kissed Rei's temple, "_We'll figure out a way. I'm sure there are plenty of American refugees all over the world now."_

_ "But, how are we going to get home?"_

_ "I don't know. We'll think of something." _Ami replied, _"I'm going to take a walk, do some thinking. You go back to sleep."_

Dragging on her jacket, Ami took up her new belt. It was a heavy, canvas, over-belt that she had found in the woods near the farm. On it were two large pouches perfect for carrying spare ammunition, a thin, long, pouch for a water bottle and her knife, clean and razor sharp. She slung her rifle over her shoulder before stepping out into the winter storm.

The snow had accumulated a couple of feet deep on the ground and still it continued to fall. The only reason the old shed had not collapsed was due to the constant ministrations of all present. They worked in regular shifts to keep the snow from accumulation too deeply on the roof and collapsing the structure. Ami let out a startled yelp as a massive pile of snow dropped from the roof to the ground in front of her.

"Sorry." Michelle called, "Didn't see you there."

Ami waved up at her before continuing on, trudging through the knee-deep powder. Icy winds swirled around her and she tucked her hands under her arms for warmth. Gloves or no gloves, she'd soon have to go back inside the shelter or risk frostbite.

Already, there had been a couple of close calls. Usagi had discovered that morning that the flesh on her knuckles had turned dusky, the opening salvo of frostbite. The last thing any of them needed was to lose a digit to Gangrene

With the wind biting and the snow continuing to deepen, Ami retreated to the warmth of the shelter and found Makoto sitting quietly at the table, staring at her hand, "_What's wrong?"_

Makoto clicked her tongue with concern before speaking, "_My right small finger has turned black."_

Ami examined the digit and called for Michelle, who dropped from the roof. Michelle called for Drake, who wandered in from the snow. He woke Amara, who summoned Trista.. Everyone had the same opinion.

Makoto's hand was frostbitten.

l-l-l-l

"We'll have to remove it." Trista declared, "It's the only way."

Makoto spoke enough English to get a good idea what they wanted to do. She hid against Ami, trembling in fear.

"Can't we just warm it over the fire?" Ami objected, "I don't like the idea of an amputation here, of all places."

"There would be the threat of Gangrene if we left it unattended." Drake pointed out, drawing his knife, "Not to mention the pain she'd be in while the flesh thawed."

"As opposed to the pain she'd be in if we cut off her finger?"

"Better her finger than her hand." Amara replied, "You'd be surprised at how quickly Gangrene can spread throughout the body. In a few hours, she could have a terrible fever and, despite what few medical supplies we have, she could die."

"We have no other choice." Michelle soothed, trying to, gently, coax Makoto from Ami's arms.

"_They need to take your finger." _Ami told Makoto.

"_No."_ Makoto whimpered, pressing tighter against Ami.

Ami didn't understand. Makoto was always the first to do whatever was necessary for whatever reason. She had been expelled from multiple schools for fighting and had been arrested a couple of times for assaulting police officers who insisted on harassing her. But now, she seemed like a terrified girl, "_Makoto. What's gotten into you? This has to be done or you'll be really sick."_

_ "Don't let them cut it off, Ami. It'll hurt. I don't want the pain."_

_ "You'll be in worse pain if we don't take care of it now. You might die, Mako-chan."_

Makoto was silent for a moment and then moved to lay down on the wide piece of plywood that Amara had provided. Drake pressed her hand against the wood, separating the frostbitten digit from the living ones, and nodded to the rest present.

Their combined weight held Makoto down as pain and fear lent strength to her limbs and power to her voice. She screamed and sobbed in agony as the damaged finger was slowly amputated. Ami would have liked Drake to finish sooner but they needed to be certain to get all of the dead flesh. Therefore, they had to go slowly and carefully.

They had gathered quite an audience by the time Drake had finished and Michelle was bandaging the wound. Hotaru, Usagi, Minako, and even Rei, had appeared to offer whatever assistance they could.

Makoto gave a few strangled cries and trembled with pain as Michiru wrapped the bloody stump and Amara took the severed digit away, tossing it into the woods.

"We're going to have to watch her carefully." Trista mused, staring, thoughtfully, at Makoto, "Even with the amputation, there's still the threat of Gangrene. We'll need to be very careful and, if it appears again, she might lose her hand."

Ami nodded, trying to calm and comfort Makoto, who had quieted but still shivered with the agony, her eyes glazed with pain. She began to wonder, perhaps belatedly, if coming to America was such a good idea.

Ami felt Usagi settle in next to her, followed by Minako and Rei. All four women clung to Makoto, lending their strength in a show of sisterhood and solidarity. Pain for one was pain for all. If they managed to get home, they would all have a hell of a lot of explaining to do. Ami's mother would go mad over the eye incident. It was fortunate for Makoto that she was an orphan. She didn't have parents to explain things to. Rei's father, who, as Ami understood it to be, was some kind of politician, would make a sizable stink about this. And, maybe, just maybe, he might be able to help with Michelle and the others.

Ami nodded to herself in a self-satisfied manner, earning an odd look from Usagi. If they could figure out a way to get to Japan, they would be able to keep Michelle and her family with them.


	12. Chapter 12

As the winter passed, Rei grew stronger and healthier. Makoto's amputation had been successfully done and healed properly. The weather was growing warmer and, with the change in seasons, everybody's mood improved considerably. The entire clan set to work preparing for the spring planting and none too soon as their food supplies were dwindling. And Ami quietly worked on a plan to see everyone safely home.

Everyone was back to work. The girls, who had been immersed in the American culture for almost a year, now, spoke English fluently and had begun to lose their accents. Ami's accent had disappeared entirely and, instead, developed the clipped tones and enunciated words of the British accent without the actual accent itself.

"There's something I'd like to discuss with everyone, if it's all right." She announced, over supper, one evening, "The girls and I have begun to formulate a plan to see us all, safely, back to Japan. As America is still in a state of disarray and we'd hate to leave you all to Fate, we'd like to invite you to join us."

"And, just how were you planning to get back to Japan?" Trista asked.

"Though we can't express how much we appreciate the offer," Michelle said, "she raises a valid point. The airlines are still out of service."

"Right. What I propose is dangerous, for certain, but not impossible. If we can get enough supplies together, we can drive cross-country, to the west coast, and sail from there."

"Let me get this straight," Amara objected, "You're saying that we drive _across_ the U.S., a trip of over three thousand miles, and then sail another three thousand miles to a foreign nation."

"Ami, none of us have passports or identification of any sort."

"My father is a chairman in the Diet, like your Congress." Rei interrupted, "I'm sure that, after saving our lives and keeping us safe at, what is obviously, a great personal cost to you, he wouldn't want to appear ungrateful. Certainly he would be able to waive a few laws to allow such upstanding citizens, such as yourselves, a safe haven. It would be the least he could do."

Michelle smiled her appreciation, "There's still the logistics to take care of. We need to put together enough fuel, food, water, ammunition, and replacement parts of the vehicles to make that trip. Crossing the United States, even during better times, is no easy task."

"There's a lot of abandoned vehicles around here." Ami mused

"Certainly, but I don't see-"

"Amara's truck is a pretty common model, wouldn't you say?"

"And the other truck?"

"Is a military truck. It's designed to last."

"Which is amazing, considering that it was built by the lowest bidder." Drake commented.

Ami turned to him, "I was wondering when you'd fire off. We need someone to drive it."

"And it won't be me." He replied.

There was a long silence before Michiru spoke, "What?"

"You heard me. I have no desire to go to Japan for any reason. If you all want to go, that's fine, but I'm heading south."

"What's south?" Amara asked.

"A friend of mine has a farm in Florida, about an hour outside of Ocala. He invited me down a couple of months ago and I might just take him up on it."

"How can you be sure he's still alive?"

"James is an anarchist. He's been waiting for this to happen for years. He's better prepared than any of us."

"Looking forward to it?" Ami asked, slightly appalled.

"No, but predicting. There were all kinds of warning signs, I just wonder why nobody saw them."

"Most people were too wrapped up in their own worries to believe anything other than what they were told." Amara commented.

"Okay. That eliminates his truck-"

"Oh, you can have the truck." Drake replied.

"Thank you, but, how will you get down to Florida?"

He shrugged, "I have a bicycle."

Michelle's eyes widened in shock, "That's over a thousand miles."

"A few years ago, a buddy of mine and I cycled cross-country. Just because we had no other obligations at the time. We biked from Daytona Beach to L.A. to New York and down to Maryland. I stayed here while he continued on to his place in West Virginia. The distance we clocked in was just over six thousand miles."

Amara whistled in astonishment.

"I know, right? I tell you what, though, my knee was hating me when we finished."

"And you still have this bike?"

"Sure. You've seen it."

"That piece of sh-_junk_?" Hotaru cried, censoring herself with a glare from Michelle, "I'd be surprised if it carried you up the street."

"I'll admit it needs a little work but, by the time you're ready to leave, so will I."

l-l-l-l

Everybody worked to gather supplies for the journey across America. Drake made several trips a day, wringing all of his contacts for anything they could get for him. Ami and Michelle poured over maps, marking the safest routes to their destination.

It was imperative that they stay away from any major cities and highways. The country, despite it's agonizingly slow recovery, was still in turmoil and any strangers would be seen as a threat. Without using the interstates or main roads, sticking only to rural roads, would make their progress agonizingly slow but they would be more likely to reach their destination.

Their trip would take them south to South Carolina, where they would cross the Appalachian Mountains. From there, the next big hurtles would be the Rocky Mountains and the Mojave desert with their trip ending in the port city of Eureka.

With routes selected and supplies gathered, they all rested for what they knew would be a long, difficult, and deadly journey.


	13. Chapter 13

Thunder rumbled through the pre-dawn sky as the entire group rushed to finish the last of the loading. The NOAA station was predicting heavy thunderstorm activity throughout the East Coast and they wanted to be done and on the road before things started to get really bad.

Drake, before leaving for Florida, had secured all of the fuel, rations, and water they would need for the nearly three thousand mile journey across the United States. The route Michelle and Ami had planned would take them across the Appalachian mountains though West Virginia, through the Plain states, where they would have to hurry because it was getting to be their Tornado season. They had opted to travel through the Mojave desert, skirting the Rocky mountains, before heading into California for the second leg of their journey.

Rei helped Ami push her motorcycle up onto a trailer that was attached to Amara's Expedition and cover it with a tarp. They would save the bike for later, when Ami would scout the roads ahead of the group for potential dangers.

It had been decided that they would take mostly side roads during their journey and stay off of the interstates as much as possible. It would take longer but they would be safer, overall, that way.

Usagi was busy ratcheting down the nylon ties that would hold their supplies in place during the long, rough, and perilous sojourn. There was enough room remaining in the back of the Deuce for her and a couple of others to sit and Michelle was thoughtful enough to add a few blankets for them to sit on so that they would be more comfortable.

Amara, being the most experienced with driving large vehicles, would be piloting the Deuce for the better portion of the trip, with Michelle leading the tiny convoy in the Expedition with Trista riding shotgun as the navigator and, if necessary, gunner. Hotaru and Minako, both of whom had developed considerable skill with firearms, settled into the back seat with their rifles at the ready, resting across their knees.

Finally, they were ready to leave. Amara handed Michelle a two-way radio so that they could communicate back and forth. Ami, Usagi, and Rei climbed into the back of the Deuce while Makoto climbed in the front to work as Amara's navigator and gunner.

Weapons were loaded and checked, spare cartridges were packed, and everybody took their positions. Since they had been working for most of the night, with only a few hours of sleep each, the girls in the Deuce immediately began to doze. Ami tried her best to stay awake and watch out of the back of the truck for any followers but the gentle swaying of the rig on it's shocks combined with the drumming of the rain on the canvas roof, lulled her into a deep, dreamless, slumber.

l-l-l-l

Awoken by a steady drip on her face, Ami found a small leak in the canvas right over her head, "_Lovely_." she muttered.

Usagi and Rei where curled up against her, obviously seeking warmth. Ami smiled as she imagined them lying all together in a big heap, like a litter of kittens for a midday snooze. She squirmed out from beneath her two friends and sat up, stretching her arms and back and wincing as her joints popped. Considering that she had spent the last year sleeping in soft grass and, before that, in a warm bed, the cold metal, even with the blankets, was uninviting. Still, she couldn't complain too much. She still had all of her friends and they were going home. That was all that mattered.

Ami noticed that the truck didn't seem to be moving. She climbed out of the back and down to the wet earth. The convoy had sought shelter deep in a patch of forest that she didn't recognize. Ami guessed that the rest of the group had decided to stop off for a bit of a break, seeking the rest that they hadn't gotten the night before. It was still raining heavily and thick mud sucked at her boots as she circled the vehicles, searching for any sign of a trespasser.

It was odd. There didn't seem to be anyone on watch so Ami perched herself on the tailgate of the Deuce, facing the Expedition, with a fairly clear view of the surrounding area. All was quiet and peaceful and, though she longed to return to her home in Tokyo, she had grown attached to settings like this. Perhaps, when she made it home, she would leave for the countryside on an extended vacation.

Something in the trees shifted and she froze, raising her rifle and taking aim. Leaves rustled and twigs snapped as someone or something moved through the bushes just beyond the trucks. She tracked the sound and movement through the sights of her rifle, her finger resting lightly on the trigger.

Hotaru suddenly appeared from the bushes, wandering about a moment before she noticed Ami and froze, "Hey, hey. It's me."

Ami lowered her rifle, "Sorry, you just spooked me. What were you doing in there, anyway?"

Hotaru blinked and a slight blush tinted her cheeks, "I had to pee."

"Feeling's mutual." Ami replied, "Watch my spot?"

Hotaru nodded and climbed up onto the the bed of the Deuce as Ami climbed down. The forest surrounding the clearing was fairly dense and she had to push her way through a few thickets before she found a suitable spot to relieve herself. Crouching down amongst the roots of a large tree, she spotted the occasional flicker of lightning from the departing storm and remembered her mother's oft repeated warning about seeking shelter beneath trees. Even though the likelihood of her being struck by lightning was slim, there was still a chance and she didn't want to linger.

Something like a high pitched whistle sounded through the trees as Ami cleaned herself. She paused to listen and run through a mental inventory of anything the group had that would make that kind of noise.

The whistle cut off with a few short pops and it all suddenly clicked with Ami. She hadn't been hearing a whistle and pops. Those were the sounds of distant screams and gunfire. Ami drew her pistol and took off through the woods, running as fast as her legs could carry her.

She was soaked, scratched, and muddy by the time she reentered the clearing to find a pale and shaken Hotaru clutching her rifle and crouching on the back of the truck. She spotted Ami and leaped down from her perch, sprinting and sliding through the slippery earth, "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah. Where's it coming from, do you think"

Hotaru shook her head, "Between the distance and the echos, it's hard to tell but I'd say, for a really rough guess, maybe quarter of a mile to the north."

Ami nodded, "Let's wake everyone up and, how do you say, circle the wagons? Just be quiet about it."

Hotaru nodded and took off to see to it while Ami began to circle the vehicles again. Amara came trotting over, shaking her head to rid herself of sleep, "What's going on? Hotaru won't tell us anything."

"She and I heard screams and gunfire coming from a short distance to the north." She explained. "I told her to wake everyone."

"Do you think we should move."

Ami shook her head, "I don't think that's a good idea. We'll make a lot of noise leaving and may not put enough distance between us and them before they come to look through this area. Our best bet is to sit tight, be quiet, and hope they don't notice us."

Amara grunted her displeasure, "Hiding's for the weak and faint of heart."

"What do you think you've been doing for the past two years? If it was just you and me, I'd agree but we have Hotaru and the others to think about."

"What do you want to do?"

Ami blew a breath into her bangs and, oddly enough, thought about how much she needed a haircut, "Let's take up defensive positions but be nice and quiet. I don't think it'll be a good idea to move for a while, maybe a couple of days. We have to make sure they're long gone before we make a move and risk exposing ourselves."

"But we _need _to get to California." Amara whined.

Ami raised an eyebrow, "Why the rush? Got a hot date, yeah?"

"I just want to get out of this Hell hole."

There was a bright flash and a loud explosion as a fireball shot into the sky, "Still think it's a good idea to stick around?" Amara asked

"Well, it's a bit late to be doing anything about it now, isn't it." Ami replied. There was another explosion but Ami was able to catch the low hiss of burning fuel right before it, "I think they have missiles."

"Doubt it, probably Rocket Propelled Grenades. If that's the case, it might be a good idea to stay put for the night, after all Sounds like a fucking war over there. How about, after everything calms down, you and I wander over that way and see if there's anything useful left over?"

"Useful?"

Amara rolled her eyes, "Supplies."

"We barely have enough room for what we have."

"Never hurts to look."


	14. Chapter 14

The rainstorm and firestorm were both over by the time the group was ready to move on. According to Amara, they had traveled a little over two hundred miles before exhaustion and, later, the nearby skirmish, had forced them to stop. She wanted to haul for a lengthy thousand miles, to make up for lost time, before they stopped for the night.

Before leaving, Ami unloaded her motorcycle, accepted a headset for her two-way hand-held and took off to scout the roads ahead of the group. She stayed a consistent five miles ahead of everyone else and kept a watchful eye for danger in the form of blockades, downed bridges, flooded roads, and gang activity. Whenever she saw something she didn't like, she would report it to Michelle, who would immediately stop the convoy and wait for Ami to come back with a more detailed report.

Ami didn't venture out alone. Though her motorcycle was fast and agile enough to outrun most pursuers, it couldn't outrun bullets. Rei was perched on the back of the bike with a .30-06 slung over her shoulder. She kept a watchful eye for anything suspicious and had been given orders, from both Ami and Amara, to shoot on sight. Since her experience at the hands of her captors months before had left her with an animosity towards most Americans, save Michelle and her family, these were orders that she would gladly carry out.

Gripping a pair of loops sewn into the shoulders of Ami's jacket, Rei kept herself secure in the seat. She refused to wrap her arms around Ami's waist, even though she thought that would be the safest option, because she wanted to be able to ready her weapon quickly in the event that they were attacked. Still, she began to rethink the wisdom of her decision as they wove around abandoned cars on the narrow, two-lane, highway.

A semi truck was jack-knifed on the road ahead of them, blocking both lanes. Ami slowed to a stop, "_Do you see a way around_?"

"_How about over there_?" Rei suggested, pointing to a narrow strip of grass that bordered the road.

"_Check it out_." Ami suggested, "_If it's too muddy, we'll have to turn back. We don't want_ _Amara to get stuck again_."

The massive Deuce, despite it's size, or possibly, because of it, had a hard time with muddy patches of ground and Amara had gotten it stuck twice, requiring all available to push it loose while Michelle, in the Expedition, pulled from the other end.

Rei dismounted and moved over to the grass, watching for any possible attackers. Behind her, Ami radioed Michelle, commanding her to stop the convoy and wait.

Carefully, Rei probed the ground with a foot and found it to be fairly hard. The Deuce could pass this way easily. She turned around to inform Ami and saw the back of the semi's trailer roll open, revealing half a dozen armed men, "_Ami_!" She screamed, running for the bike, "_Ambush_!"

The gunfire began, chewing up the pavement mere inches in front of her feet. Rei abandoned her original quest and, instead, dove for the questionable safety of roadside brush. She could hear Ami fire the motorcycle up and squealing tires as she moved the bike closer to her. She would have to stop to allow her enough time to mount the bike and secure herself for what would be a wild flight.

Ami searched for any sign of Rei in the brush and tried to trade fire with the gunmen with her tiny pistol. She had already seen two fall but there were still more that presented a major threat. She knew neither she nor Rei had enough ammunition to take down all of the attackers. Her best option was to run but, with Rei pinned down, it was easier said than done.

Swinging the bike around, Ami barreled for the brush she had seen Rei dive into. She slid to a stop and began to fire into the back of the semi trailer as the raven-haired woman darted out and climbed aboard.

Ami revved the engine, manage to spin the bike on it's rear tire, and left a black mark along the road. Rei wrapped her arms around Ami's waist, knowing it was more important to simply hang on as Ami rode like a madwoman. She could see the convoy just ahead, pulled over on the side of the road. The bike wobbled slightly and Rei rubbed Ami's chest, "You okay?"

The bike wobbled harder, "Ami?"

As they pulled up next to the Deuce, Ami coughed and lurched. The bike's front wheel snapped to the right, dumping both occupants to the pavement. Rei was on her feet instantly, "Are you okay?"

Ami could only gasp as she rolled onto her back. Rei reached down to help her girlfriend up but paused. Her hands and arms were covered in blood, as was Ami's shirt.

Michelle came around the truck, "What happened?"

Rei's eyes were wild, "We were ambushed. Ami's been shot. Help me!"

Together, they picked the petite bluenette from the ground and carried her around to the back of the Deuce.

"What the hell?" Usagi asked as she helped them pull Ami into the safety of the back.

"She's hurt." Michelle explained, drawing her knife and using it to cut away the blood-soaked fabric. Ami groaned as they ripped at the shirt in their panic to get at her wounds. Hotaru hurried with the extensive medical kit. Michelle dug through it, removing a pair of tweezers, gauze, and wrap, "What kind of guns were they?"

Rei shook her head, "I don't know guns."

"Describe them."

"Rifles. They were working bolts to reload them. I guess it was a five bullet...magazine, I think they're called."

"Sounds like the old M-14s" Michelle nodded, "Seven-Six-Two millimeter." She dug carefully into Ami's wound, which was between her ribs. "Can't find it."

"Look harder," Rei urged.

"I'll cause more harm than good. I'm not a doctor, Rei. I really have little more than a bare basics knowledge of first aid." Michelle removed the tweezers and rested her head against Ami's chest, "Her lungs sound clear and her heart seems okay." She packed the wound with gauze and wrapped it tightly, "I'm afraid, without an actual doctor, that's all we can do."

"Why did she collapse?"

Michelle shrugged, "Exhaustion, blood loss, pain, all of the above, it's hard to say." She squeezed Rei's shoulder in sympathy, "Just let her rest and I'm sure she'll be fine. She's a tough girl."

Michelle climbed out, intending to coordinate with Amara on how much farther to move the convoy before stopping for the night. Rei settled down next to Ami, "I remember how you cared for me when I was ill. I'll never forget it. I guess it's my turn to repay the favor."

The truck lurched as it began to pull away. Ami groaned and shifted, sweat beading on her brow. Rei took a cloth and wiped Ami's brow. Taking one of the blankets, she covered her lover but wished she could do more to comfort Ami. The back of the truck was chilly. Rei slipped beneath the blanket and cuddled against Ami to keep her warm. Usagi slipped beneath on the other side, "She's done so much for us. If it weren't for her, we would probably be dead. She doesn't deserve any of this."

"No, she never did. A quiet vacation before she began medical school. That's all she wanted. God, what a cluster fuck this turned out to be."

"It'll be okay. We'll make it home and things will be normal again."

Rei shook her head, "No, Usagi. Things will never be normal again. Not after all of the things we've seen and done, had to do to survive. All I wanted was to ask for directions and find out where I was, I wound up being tied to a barn rafter and beaten nearly to death."

Usagi gasped softly as tears filled her eyes.

"Ami and Makoto have both killed to protect themselves, as, I'm sure, you have."

Usagi nodded, "A couple of times. It never gets any easier."

"And it shouldn't." Rei stated, firmly. "If it did, I'd be worried."

The Deuce rolled to a halt again and Hotaru climbed into the back.

"What's up?" asked Usagi.

"We're coming up to the place where you were ambushed."

"There's no other routes through this area?"

Hotaru shook her head, "None. Mama wants me back here for safety. Better get everything ready."

Usagi and Rei each took a corner of the blanket and pulled Ami deeper into the back of the truck, where she would be safe from any stray bullets. Hotaru took up her rifle and hunkered down behind a fuel barrel.

"Kid, Why don't you come over here, by me." Rei suggested from her position behind a crate of food.

Scuttling like a crab, Hotaru changed positions. Usagi laid flat on her belly, the barrel of her rifle sticking out of the back of the truck.

"How many were left over after you left?"

"Four or five," Rei replied, "But it's entirely possible that there are more than that."

"We're just going to drive right through as quickly as possible." Hotaru replied as the Deuce began to speed up, "Hang on."

There was a pop and a bullet hole appeared in the canvas just over Rei's head. Hotaru ducked instinctively. Two more bullets pinged off the steel panels. Somebody up front returned fire as the distinctive crack of one of the AK-47s spoke.

Usagi put out covering fire as quickly as she could but her .30-06 could only fire so fast.

"Usagi, trade ya!" Hotaru cried, sliding her .22 forward. With a snap of her elbow, Usagi sent her rifle back to Hotaru, who began to reload it.

A wreck of a car barreled out of the woods to give chase. A handgun appeared out of the driver's side window and began to fire back. Usagi ducked as a bullet parted her hair. Rei took careful aim and fired, blowing out the car's front tire. The driver fought to regain control as the vehicle swerved and skidded across the road. Usagi fired, shattering the windshield and killing the driver. The car snapped to the side, sprang high into the air, and began to roll, loosing it's other three occupants. One poor bastard got caught as he tried to leap from the window and was smashed as the metal cube repeatedly rolled over him.

"Gotcha!" Hotaru cheered. Usagi and Rei shared a look. They would have to have a talk with this kid.

l-l-l-l

It was well after dark by the time they pulled in behind an abandoned building for the night. Michelle appeared at the tailgate with a flashlight, "Everybody okay?"

"We're all fine." Usagi assured her.

"Hotaru?"

"Good as gold." The teen replied, waving from her position behind one of the crates.

Michelle nodded, "We're going to stay back here for the night, probably in the trucks, just in case we need to skip in a hurry. How's Ami?"

"She's in and out of consciousness." Rei reported, "She's not complaining of any pain, aside from the wound itself."

"Probably means the bullet didn't hit anything important. Looks like she's going to be okay. Has she eaten anything?"

Rei shook her head, "She's not conscious long enough to be hungry."

"She's lost a lot of blood and is probably in more than a little pain. Just let her rest, she'll eat when she's ready. Are any of you hungry?"

Usagi hopped out of the truck. Rei stayed where she was, "I'm going to stay here and look after her."

Michelle nodded, "Let me know if you change your mind."

Rei thanked her and went back to Ami. She was laying on her back, staring up at the canvas roof, "Hey."

"How are you feeling?"

"Still hurts. Exactly as it did when you asked five minutes ago."

"Any breathing problems? Any other pain?"

Ami shook her head, "No." She reached up and took Rei's hand, "I'm sure you're hungry. Go eat something. I'll be okay for a little while by myself."

Rei nodded and went to join the others. Ami rested back and, using her medical knowledge, continued her self-diagnosis. The bullet had broken a rib but had missed her lungs, heart, and any other important organs. The bleeding had stopped, for the most part, and, when she had relieved herself earlier, she hadn't seen any blood in her urine. She was relieved that she didn't have any internal bleeding but, despite the fact that she was, on the surface, fine. She was still exhausted and in a lot of pain. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Ami sat back against a box of blankets, resting as the convoy continued along the route. Due to her injuries, she had been forbidden, by everybody, from working. Michelle had given her a bottle of whiskey, about which Ami objected, stating that the alcohol would dilute her blood and expand her blood vessels, which could, potentially, make her bleeding worse. But, since they had no painkillers and a semi-drunken state would keep her pain to a minimum and help her sleep, she had accepted.

Actually, it wasn't as bad as she had expected. Then again, it rarely was. So, this way, instead of being in a world of hurt, she was enveloped in a warm, fuzzy, comfortable feeling with only slight twinges of pain every time she shifted.

Since she had also figured that she would be more of a liability than an asset in battle, she had resolved to stay where she was in the back of the Deuce. And so she stayed, on her makeshift bed of blankets, feeling a bit guilty about not doing her share of the work.

Rei came back to her and knelt at her side, "_How're you feeling_?"

Ami grinned, "_Have I told you today how beautiful you are_?"

Rei smiled, "_This would be the fifth time this morning. But, I still like to hear it_."

Ami laid back and opened her arms, _"Fuck me_?"

From the gate of the Deuce, Hotaru, who was being tutored in Japanese by the rest of the girls, tried her best to stifle the giggles. Rei clicked her tongue and wrapped a hand around the bottle, "_You've had enough_."

"_No_." Ami whined, reaching for the whiskey.

"_I'm afraid so. Besides, I need it now_."

Ami knew what that meant. Rei would clean her wound and change her bandages about every twelve hours. It was necessary to ward away infection in this less-than-ideal environment but that didn't mean she had to like it.

Rei helped her sit up and remove her shirt before working at the gauze and bandages. Since the wound was still fairly fresh, it still bled a bit but less and less each day.

As carefully as she could, Rei unwound the bandages. Ami winced and squeaked each time the wound was touched. It was still very tender.

With the wound exposed to the air, Rei dampened a piece of gauze with the alcohol and set to work cleaning it. Ami's fists were clenched and her breath hitched with every stroke of the gauze, which felt like burning sandpaper against her raw nerves.

"_Easy. Easy now._" She took a moment to wipe a stray tear from Ami's cheek, "_I know it hurts. Hopefully, we'll see a hospital soon and we'll get you some morphine or something."_

Ami knew that the chances of them finding any kind of painkiller in a hospital, especially this long after the revolt, were slim. Besides, they hadn't seen a hospital for days. Rei layered gauze and carefully redressed the wound.

She fetched a small cup of water for Ami, "_No more alcohol until later. I won't have you turning into a drunk. Sip this slowly._"

Ami did as she was told and Rei helped her lay down again but stayed with her, allowing Ami to rest her head in her lap, "_Go ahead_," Rei whispered, running her fingers through Ami's hair, "_get some rest. I'll watch over you._"

Ami nodded as the combined alcohol and pain made her pass out.

l-l-l-l

Ami awoke in darkness. The truck was still, everything was silent, and she was alone.

"Rei?" She asked, squinting through the darkness, "Usagi? Hotaru?"

No one replied. The back of the truck was chilly and Ami wrapped a blanket around herself before climbing, slowly, to her feet. Her knees trembled, refusing to take her weight as she lurched to the Deuce's tailgate. She knew that jumping down from the high platform to the ground below was completely out of the question. The impact of landing, in her present state, would drop her. She sat down on the edge of the bed and slid off to the ground below. Even though the fall wasn't as great, it still caused her to gasp and hiss at the sudden burning in her side.

Ami caught snatches of conversation filtering through the thick foliage that bordered the parking lot that was their home for the evening. She followed them into a small clearing where the girls had built a small fire against the chill of the night. Rei looked up as Ami pushed her way through the last bit of undergrowth.

"There you are." She said, going to Ami and helping her to the circle of logs that a few of the girls sat on. The rest were grouped off to the side, just inside the firelight, wrapped up in blankets and fast asleep. Hotaru was sandwiched between Michelle and Trista while Usagi, and Minako were curled up around each other, reminding Ami of a pair of kittens, especially since Minako made an odd noise that sounded like purring when she slept.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Near Nevada." Amara replied. "We still have about another week until we hit California. We still haven't decided where we're going to find a harbor."

"How are our provisions?"

"We'll need to restock before we set sail but, until then, we should be fine. I'm amazed that they've managed to last this long. Michelle's rationing system is really working."

"Y'know," Rei mused, "even though we've been though hell being here, think all lazy obnoxious sadistic Americans can burn in hell, present company excluded, and never want to even think about this experience ever again, this was actually, kind of, enjoyable."

"Except your week in torture." Ami pointed out.

"And you being shot and the subsequent alcoholism."

"Damn it all, I'm not an alcoholic."

"You know, Ami," said Amara, "The acceptance that you have a problem is the first step towards recovery."

"You can take your twelve steps and shove them up your bull-dyke cunt." Ami growled.

"Fuck you, you slant-eyed, cunt-licking, lesbo Jap whore."

Ami contrived to look hurt but failed miserably when she fell into Rei, laughing.


End file.
